Islanders asked to report sightings of rare eel

The Guernsey Nature Commission is urging island residents to report sightings of rare European eels in an effort to better understand the dwindling population. The European eel has experienced a 95% decline since the 1980s, primarily due to habitat loss and barriers to feeding grounds, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The species is critically endangered, with little remaining of its once widespread presence.

Ecologist Charlotte Burgoine is seeking information on both recent and historical sightings of the eels, as well as any knowledge about areas where they were once observed. European eels are catadromous, meaning they hatch in the Sargasso Sea, grow up in freshwater, and return to the sea to spawn. They are strong swimmers, active at night, and can live up to 80 years.

To gather more data, the Nature Commission and Guernsey Water are conducting environmental DNA sampling in the island's freshwater ponds and streams. Burgoine explained that freshwater habitats are declining due to factors like drainage, land clearance, mismanagement, pollution, and infrastructure such as pipes and dams, which hinder eels' migration to feeding grounds. With global declines in European eel populations, the commission hopes to gain a better understanding of their status on the island.