Though density of the adult population of eel in the UK remains stable, recruitment of the baby eels has fallen in recent years. The European eel is now listed as an endangered species by CITES.

While fishing and poaching has come under close scrutiny, the reduction in recruitment is not just a fisheries management problem. It is a European environmental problem that has been brought about by a society that has been dominated by technology and economic growth.

The importance of habitat needs to be recognised. More than 80% of wetland habitat has been destroyed since the 1850s. Those habitats than remain need to be accessible to the migrating eels. Much greater recognition should be given to the impact of civil engineering schemes on upstream and downstream migratory pathways. Agriculture, drainage, navigation, flood control have all contributed to the loss of habitat and migratory pathways.

A much greater effort needs to be made to support existing habitats and restore lost ones.

It is also possible that the climatic changes that are now being recorded are having an effect on the oceanic spawning areas.

There is no low cost solution to the current problems. The financial resources spent chasing fishermen with helicopters are probably better directed towards supporting environmental projects.

I can see no justification to use baby eels for culinary purposes. This valuable resource should either be used for restocking or at the least for farming projects to take pressure of wild caught stocks.

Regrettably the recovery of eel stocks to previous historic levels of abundance is not possible. The environmental changes that have taken place are on such a scale that it will not be possible to restore migratory pathways and habitat to that of even 50 years ago

From a fishing perspective there are some major differences between the methods used in the UK and France. In the UK the traditional hand fishing method that is friendly towards the environment and the baby eels has been preserved. The baby eels that are caught are of a particularly high quality and are used for restocking inland waters all over Europe. In France fishing with hand nets is now illegal and those caught using this method are viewed as poachers. Ironically the only legal method of fishing in France is to use powerful trawlers that not only consume large quantities of fossils fuels, leave little chance of the baby eels escaping but also guarantee that up to half of the baby eels that are caught are either killed or damaged in the fishing process.

Peter Wood, Gloucester,

Just another example of the ocean being fished and polluted out.
Many fish species and shell fish numbers are doing down.
Example: from over the (nearly fished out) pond. Grouper
claimed by some seafood restaurants is found not to be
grouper and if it is expect to pay a high price for it.

Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

Such a shame that their rarity means I will probably never have the chance to witness the wonderful taste of elvers again, a taste that has stayed in my memory since the 70's when my father would bring home the odd pint around Easter.

My mother would refuse to cook them unless the eyes were removed, so my father took over and simply fried them with chopped bacon. Probably the only thing my father ever cooked.

Paul Ritchie, Southampton,