Modelling of Anguilla anguilla production and silver eel escapement for the River Severn, compliance with targets and development of management plans

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The River Severn catchment supports the largest glass eel fishery in the UK, with a current annual catch of around 10 t. Since the 1980s, there has been a decline in the catch and CPUE (an index of recruitment) of glass eel of ~70%, with the main decline happening in 1983/1984. Yellow and silver eel fisheries in the Severn catchment are negligible. Comparison of the results of eel-specific surveys undertaken in the late 1990s and between 2002 – 2004 with those during the early 1980s indicates that there have been no significant overall changes in eel distribution, density, biomass or size structure of the eel population in the Severn. This suggests that escapement of silver eels is similar to that during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the glass eel fishery was much larger (~40 t).