Neville Fickling’s Angling Times Comment on Eels

An edited version of the article below was included in this week’s edition of AT. The National Anguilla Club feel that the full text might be of interest to all anglers (especially Neville!), hence this article.

A response to Neville Fickling’s article: “Eels: bring me the scientific evidence” from his Angling Times column of Tuesday 7th April 2009.

Neville’s column in Angling Times dated Tuesday April 7th 2009 casts doubt on the widely held belief that European Eel stocks are dangerously close to collapse. The National Anguilla Club are surprised and disappointed that such an influential figure in the angling world has chosen to ignore the facts surrounding the plight of the eel, and instead used anecdotal evidence to make a case for continuing to supply eels as bait. To use his column in AT to state that there is not enough scientific evidence available to evidence the dire state of eel stocks is, at best, irresponsible, and at worst, an attempt to protect what appears to be his prime concern, protecting his business. I have no problem with him fighting for his livelihood, but he should not use the pages of the angling press to protect his business. Our detailed responses to his comments are detailed below:

Neville states that: “scientific evidence needs to be much better before action is taken.”

The following statements are all backed by extensive scientific research and data:

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): The stock of Anguilla anguilla is outside safe biological limits and has now been included as an endangered species under Appendix II which lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade is closely controlled.

ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) “In fact, no other fish stock within the ICES Area is as widespread or involves so many fishermen. That is, for as long as it lasts, as the eel stock is dangerously close to collapse. Without better, co-ordinated assessments and an international management plan, the future looks bleak for these ocean travellers.

DEFRA : Introduction to Eel Management Plans: “Advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) indicates that the stock of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is outside safe biological limits across European waters.

All of the research applicable to these statements is readily available on the internet.

On selling eels for bait: “all mine come from a sustainable source.”

There is no such thing as a sustainable source for the European eel because they cannot be bred in captivity. As a one stock species, all eels originate from the same source, and have to return to that source to spawn. Neville must be aware of this, and it is difficult to understand how he can write that his source is sustainable. His eels probably come from Lough Neagh, or another European fishery where elvers are stocked and then harvested as yellow eels. It is more than likely that the eels that Neville sells are UK sourced elvers that have been stocked and grown on in European waters. This activity has a direct effect on the UK eel stock.

He admits that eel activity in the fens is now almost non existent, and yet persists in his view that things are not so bad. He mentions that on some of the waters he fishes eels are a positive nuisance. This may well be the case, as there are some waters, mostly near to our coast, where there is a reasonable head of eels. However, there are many, many more waters where eels are a thing of the past.

As for the suggestion that our members stop fishing for eels with rod and line, well, we know that the mortality rate for eels that are handled sensibly and returned to the water is almost non existent. It has been scientifically proven that eels can survive for up to 48 hours out of water if kept damp and cool. We know from our own experiences that deeply hooked eels do survive, and are remarkably adept at ridding themselves of hooks that cannot be removed by the angler.

“The National Anguilla Club is asking more or less for all commercial netting to cease, and an end to the use of eels as bait.”

To date we have not asked for commercial netting to cease, but we have asked anglers to treat eels with respect, and not use or buy them as bait. On the Pike and Predator forum, Dave Smith, our internet officer, asked if Neville would like to be the first tackle dealer to take the initiative and stop selling eels. It would seem that at this point Neville sensed that his back pocket was about to come under attack, and became most defensive, eventually refusing to continue the debate because he felt that he had been insulted. He had not, of course, but it was a convenient time for him to withdraw from a debate in which he had little support.

We welcome informed debate on the issues surrounding eel conservation, but it is imperative that comments and articles emanating from angling celebrities do not detract from the fight to save the eel.