As the elver fishing season begins, there are strong concerns that the exploitation of eels is set to continue, supported by increasing prices for smaller and smaller catches.

The government have admitted that since 2010 “more than half of the catch” of Severn estuary / Bristol Channel elvers has been removed from their naturally destined home in our waters and sent abroad to Europe.

Supporting the Golden Valley Eel Project, George Smith, Fisheries Officer for 30 years on the River Wye, said: “There is only one natural home for a naturally-incoming Severn/Wye estuary juvenile eel, and that is the waters of the Severn and Wye rivers basin, and none should be exported abroad while they remain critically-endangered.

“The government have now admitted that they have allowed over half of our eels to go abroad, taken there by companies operating across Europe , and we believe, assisted by EU funds. This must stop.”

As a result of a 2000 signature petition handed to government by Golden Valley Fish and Wildlife Association calling for an immediate precautionary stop on the export of critically-endangered eels, MP George Eustice revealed that over half of our Wye and Severn Estuary juvenile eels (“elvers”) have been exported to Europe.

The petition, called ‘Stop The Commercial Export of Baby Eels’ drew widespread support from many angling and conservation groups, including the Angling Trust. The Association has also worked to reverse the disappearance of eels locally by buying and restocking over a quarter of a millions juvenile eels since 2012.

A spokesperson for the Golden Valley Eel Project, said: “Adult eels are believed to swim to somewhere in the Sargasso Sea prior to spawning, but this has never been verified.

“The young eels, or elvers, then appear to drift back to our rivers on the Gulf Stream currents - a truly amazing journey. To then be stopped from entering our rivers, caught in nets and exported abroad is heartbreaking when they are so endangered. A precautionary ban on fishing for our incoming baby eels should have been imposed 15 years ago, and now it is almost too late.”