Eel infrastructure

Did you know that the longfin eel / tuna is in a significant population decline? If you understand the life cycle, then you can better understand why this is the case. The adults are long lived (60 to 80 years). With species that have such long life spans, the risk is that if the population does not have natural renewal, then the population decline can be very dramatic at the end as the older ones come to the end of their natural life. The days of “lets go eeling kids” are over. Yet another of our indigenous species is at risk. Education is one way of approaching this problem. Our Trust has invested a considerable amount of time and money to support an education programme. A sign showing the life cycle of the tuna has been erected at the feeding area. The popularity of feeding the eels was putting pressure on the muddy stream bank and our plantings around the area have been trampled into the ground. To resolve this we have built a substantial feeding platform and fenced off the surrounding area of planting.