Endangered elvers make a dramatic return to British waters – following a long decline since the 1970s
- Experts say this year’s elver stock in the River Severn is the biggest in decades
- The European eels (also called glass eels) have been in decline since the 1970s
- Heavy rain earlier this year led to a rise in the warm freshwater that the eels like
Endangered elvers have made a dramatic comeback to British waters following a year of ‘perfect’ conditions.
They are baby European eels and have been in decline since the 1970s due to the drying up of their natural habitats.
They have also been threatened by a £3billion underground smuggling network because elvers, also called glass eels, are a popular delicacy in Asia.
They are baby European eels and have been in decline since the 1970s due to the drying up of their natural habitats
A 2010 EU export ban saw a rise in numbers. But experts say this year’s stock in the River Severn as the biggest for decades.
Heavy rain earlier this year has led to a rise in the warm freshwater that the eels like.
Conservation campaigner Andrew Kerr, said: ‘Nobody has ever seen the like of it before.’
Endangered elvers have made a dramatic comeback to British waters following a year of ‘perfect’ conditions. The River Severn is pictured above in Minsterworth, Gloucestershire