Somerset Eel Recovery Project (SERP)

Eels are an important part of the water environment. 

They feed on invertebrates, fish, molluscs and crustaceans, helping to recycle nutrients and are an important food source for many species.  The European eel has an extraordinary life cycle.  Adult eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and larvae return on ocean currents towards the coasts of Europe and North Africa.

The European Eel once thrived across Europe and the UK, but is now currently classified as ‘critically endangered’ as their numbers have declined by about 90% over the past 40 years.  This is due to a number of reasons – mainly barriers to migration, destruction of wetland habitat and over-fishing in some places.

The local Wedmore Eel Project had a busy 2023 and 6 months ago they decided to form SERP.

Plans for 2024 are ambitious and include further eDNA work - the testing of water samples looking for eel DNA; the launching of our comprehensive schools and education project which involves the roll out of 50 tanks into local Somerset Schools and the gathering of eel stories both written and on audio.

Hosting an Eel Conference in July to share everything eel, further barrier work including straw rope construction, installation, and assisted migration work – the moving of 1 million eel over sea side barriers. So we shall be busy!

To follow us on our journey with this exciting community work targeted at this red data list species (that was once in mass abundance on the Somerset Levels) please find us and follow us on Facebook or join our mailing list by visiting our website and signing up. www.somerseteelrecoveryproject.co.uk