Using citizen science to improve the conservation of the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) in the Thames River Basin District

Published source details Pecorelli J.P., Macphie K.H., Hebditch C., Clifton-Dey D.R.J., Thornhill I. & Debney A.J. (2019) Using citizen science to improve the conservation of the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) in the Thames River Basin District. Freshwater Science, 38, 281-291.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Install fish passes (type not specified) Action Link

Install fish passes (type not specified)

A replicated, before-and-after study in 2012–2018 in two rivers in Greater London, UK (Pecorelli et al. 2019) reported that four years after installing unspecified upstream eel passes, European eel Anguilla anguilla abundance increased upstream. In one river, the average number of eels caught ranged from 0.17–0.27 eels/day in the four years after eel pass installation compared to <0.01–0.08 eels/day in the three years before. In another river, over the same time period, the average number of eels caught ranged from 0.9–6.3 eels/day in the four years after eel pass installation compared to 0 eels/day in the three years before. In 2014, an eel pass (details not provided) was installed at a barrier in each of two rivers. In 2016, a second eel pass of unknown design was installed in one of the rivers. Eel traps were installed upstream of the barriers in each river. A sloping ramp made from plastic roof gutter (1.5–2 m long; 100 mm wide) lined with netting allowed eels to crawl into the trap. Water was supplied to the traps from upstream of the barrier using a 30-mm diameter pipe. Eels were monitored from April to September 2012–2018 by citizen scientists who had received a 2 h training session.

(Summarised by: Vanessa Cutts)