Glass eels to be released into the River Tern today

The release of over 1000 eels into the River Tern at 1.30pm, is part of an ambitious project lead by the Severn Rivers Trust and Sustainable Eel Group, who have been working to catch around 1 million glass eels from the lower Severn and relocate them across the region, helping them to enter waters further upstream which are currently inaccessible due to man-made weirs which the eels cannot pass.

Eel numbers have declined across Europe over the last 20 years, but populations of young eels arriving from the Sargasso Sea have started to increase, with many reporting that this year’s “elver run” is the best in 30 years.

However, man-made barriers are preventing them from reaching crucial inland feeding grounds as part of their natural migration in from the sea. Whilst there are already measures in place at Attingham to encourage eels and help them on their journey, like an eel pass specially designed to help eels continue along the river past the weir, it is hoped that introducing a large number of young eels past these barriers will give them a better chance of survival and boost the numbers seen in rivers further upstream as well.

Bob Thurston, Countryside Parks and Gardens Manager at Attingham Park, said he is thrilled to be able to be a part of the project. “Eels have been on the decline for many years, and it’s fantastic to be able to help this effort to rescue a species that decades ago would have been a common sight in our rivers. It’s a great opportunity to come and see the young eels, as they’re semi translucent and very tricky to spot out in the wild when they’re this young, and we’re hoping lots of visitors will enjoy this rare sight and come to wish the eels well on their journey.”