West Sutherland Elver Survey

NATIONAL EEL MANAGEMENT PLANS
West Sutherland Elver Survey 2008
Broadly speaking, there were five principal conservation measures in place in 2002 for glass
eel and elver fisheries:
1. A ban on commercial fishing in Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Northern Ireland,
Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
2. A requirement for elver passes in Denmark, France, Republic of Ireland, England,
Netherlands and Sweden.
3. Gear type regulations in France, England, Portugal and Spain.
4. Closed seasons in France, Portugal and Spain.
5. Licences for fishing/dealing in France, England, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Seven conservation measures had also been drawn up by 2002 for yellow and silver eel
fisheries in Europe:
1. Gear controls in all countries.
2. Controls on net mesh sizes in Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and
England
3. Closed fishing seasons in Denmark, France, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal,
Republic of Ireland, Spain and Sweden.
4. Licences for fishing/dealing in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland,
Republic of Ireland and England.
5. Limits on the size of eels caught in Spain, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland,
Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
6. Free gaps in weirs in Denmark; Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
7. Quotas in Northern Ireland.
In 2003 based on the findings of stock decline across Europe and the consensus that
previous measures to protect stock were insufficient unless imposed simultaneously across
Europe, the Commission of the European Communities produced a communication to the
Council and the European Parliament on ‘Development of a community action plan for the
management of European eel’ (Com. 2003. 573 final). In October 2005, the EC Commission
presented a proposal aimed at establishing measures for the recovery of the European eel
stock (Com. 2005. 472 final). The objective of the proposal was to achieve a recovery of the
European eel stock to historic levels of adult abundance and elver recruitment. The principal
element of the regulation was the establishment of national Eel Management Plans (EMP),
including measures by means of which each Member State would achieve the objective of a
40% escapement of silver eel from each river basin (measured with respect to undisturbed
conditions, reflecting conditions in the absence of a fishery or other man-made losses.) This
developed into Commission staff working paper ‘Report of the second meeting of the
subgroup on review of stocks, of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for
Fisheries eel management 2006’ (sgrst-06-02) and in 2005 the EC Commission included the
eel in the Data Collection Regulation and set standards for National Data Collection for the
European eel (European Council Regulation 1543/2000 and European Commission
Regulations 1639/2001, 1581/2004). Then in September 2007 the Council Regulation (EC no
1100/2007) established measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel to ensure
29 West Sutherland Fisheries Trust