Extreme variability in European eel growth revealed by an extended mark and recapture experiment in southern France and implications for management

Published source details Panfili J., Boulenger C., Musseau C. & Crivelli A.J. (2022) Extreme variability in European eel growth revealed by an extended mark and recapture experiment in southern France and implications for management. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 79, 631-641.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Translocate wild eels to re-establish or boost native populations (‘stocking’ or ‘restocking’) Action Link

Translocate wild eels to re-establish or boost native populations (‘stocking’ or ‘restocking’)

A study in 2008–2015 in two ponds in a marsh in Camargue, France (Panfili et al. 2022) reported that tagged, translocated wild European eels Anguilla anguilla were recaptured at a rate of 50%. Over eight years after release, 2,437 of 4,909 tagged, translocated wild eels (50%) were recaptured one to five times. The growth rate of recaptured translocated eels was extremely variable among eel stages (yellow or silver) and size (see paper for details). In 2007, a total of 1,091 yellow eels were captured from a nearby brackish lagoon, tagged and released into two connected freshwater ponds (5.5–6.0 ha, average depth: 25–50 cm) in a 20.5 ha marsh. Each year from 2008 to 2012, glass eels (8,900–12,000 eels/year) were obtained from a river delta and released into the same ponds. All eels were placed in a freshwater tank before release. For nine consecutive days each year from 2008 to 2015, eels were recaptured using fyke nets, anaesthetised, measured and released. Unmarked, recaptured eels (originating from glass eels, total 3,818 eels) were tagged before release.

(Summarised by: Vanessa Cutts)