Latest news with #WesternSussexRiversTrust
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Science
- BBC News
Plans to create "eel lanes" at the South Downs National Park
European eels were once a common sight in the UK, but they're now critically endangered, and part of the reason for this is due to barriers during their migration. They make an incredible 4,000 mile journey across two continents when they're just the size of a pea to reach freshwater in the UK. But man-made barriers like dams and weirs can make this epic migration much harder. That's why a new plan to create "eel lanes" around these structures is underway at the South Downs National Park. These "eel lanes" act like a narrow lane of water so eels can swim around the barriers in the way of their some places, eel brushes are also being added - they're strips of bristles to help eels make their way upstream. The project has been launched in partnership with the Western Sussex Rivers Trust to protect the habitat of the eel in the Rother and Ems Felus, chief executive of the trust, said: "With pollution, sewage and drought all playing a part in the diminishing water quality of our rivers and streams, it's more important than ever that we work together to help protect and enhance these precious habitats for wildlife and humans alike." The migration of the European eel European eels begin their lives in the Sargasso Sea, off the coast of Bermuda, as little larvae that look like a transparent leaf. They spend the next one to two years drifting across the Gulf Stream as their body flattens and elongates into what's known as the 'glass eel' they eventually reach the English coastline, they're about 8cm long. They use the force of the tides to push themselves upstream to make a home in rivers, including the Rother and they're in freshwater, they continue to transform, changing colour and growing up to 1m in length. They can live up to 20 years before they then make the 4,000 mile journey back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.
Leader Live
7 days ago
- Science
- Leader Live
‘Eel lanes' being created in South Downs rivers to assist 4,000-mile migration
The project has been launched by the park authority, which is working with the Western Sussex Rivers Trust to protect the habitat of the eel in the Rother and Ems rivers. It includes the installation of 'fish passes' being created around man-made structures in the rivers which act as a narrow lane of water to provide eels with a route around artificial barriers such as dams and weirs. And eel brushes – strips of bristles – are also being added at new water control structures in RSPB Pulborough Brooks and Pagham Harbour to help eels manoeuvre upstream. A spokesman for the national park said: 'The migration of these eels is quite extraordinary as they undergo several metamorphoses during their lives. 'Spawning in the Sargasso Sea, off the coast of Bermuda, the eel eggs hatch into wriggling pea-sized larvae that have the appearance of a see-through leaf. 'Over the next couple of years, these opaque creatures drift along with the Gulf Stream, their bodies elongating as they enter the next life stage as a 'glass eel'. 'Upon reaching the English coastline, they use the force of the tides – and their new-found body shape at around 8cm in length – to push themselves upstream to make a home in rivers, including the Rother and Ems. 'Once in rivers, they go through more life cycles, growing up to one metre in length and living for up to 20 years, gorging on fish, molluscs and crustaceans. 'The end of their lives sees a fantastic finale. Entering the 'silver eel' stage, their pectoral fins widen, muscle mass increases, their digestive tracts shut down and their eyes grow up to 10 times their original size, all to help see them through one final swim. 'Fighting their way back against strong currents, silver eels head 4,000 miles back across the Atlantic to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.' Aimee Felus, chief executive of the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, said: 'The health of our rivers here in the South East is crucial to the quality of our coastal waters, and vital to the health of the many creatures who call these fresh and salt waters home. 'Through our River Guardian monitoring project we are pushing for higher water quality improvements, quicker identification of pollution incidents and raising awareness of how all communities can get involved to help protect their local rivers. 'By removing man-made structures which limit how easily fish species, including the extraordinary eel, can move around, we are helping improve migration routes and their ability to reach better feeding spots. 'With pollution, sewage and drought all playing a part in the diminishing water quality of our rivers and streams, it's more important than ever that we work together to help protect and enhance these precious habitats for wildlife and humans alike.' Jan Knowlson, biodiversity officer for the South Downs National Park, said: 'The eels we have in the national park are truly remarkable and their incredible migration underlines the important connection between our rivers and seas. 'There's a continuum and all these watercourses are joined up. So healthier rivers ultimately mean healthier seas and vice versa. 'Here at the South Downs National Park, we have eight large river systems, dozens of chalk streams and a sizeable coastline and know that having well-managed, cleaner waterways are absolutely paramount to nature bouncing back across this vast region.'
Glasgow Times
7 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
‘Eel lanes' being created in South Downs rivers to assist 4,000-mile migration
The project has been launched by the park authority, which is working with the Western Sussex Rivers Trust to protect the habitat of the eel in the Rother and Ems rivers. It includes the installation of 'fish passes' being created around man-made structures in the rivers which act as a narrow lane of water to provide eels with a route around artificial barriers such as dams and weirs. European eels push themselves upstream to make a home in rivers, including the Rother, pictured, and Ems (Jeff Travis/Western Sussex Rivers Trust/PA) And eel brushes – strips of bristles – are also being added at new water control structures in RSPB Pulborough Brooks and Pagham Harbour to help eels manoeuvre upstream. A spokesman for the national park said: 'The migration of these eels is quite extraordinary as they undergo several metamorphoses during their lives. 'Spawning in the Sargasso Sea, off the coast of Bermuda, the eel eggs hatch into wriggling pea-sized larvae that have the appearance of a see-through leaf. 'Over the next couple of years, these opaque creatures drift along with the Gulf Stream, their bodies elongating as they enter the next life stage as a 'glass eel'. 'Upon reaching the English coastline, they use the force of the tides – and their new-found body shape at around 8cm in length – to push themselves upstream to make a home in rivers, including the Rother and Ems. 'Once in rivers, they go through more life cycles, growing up to one metre in length and living for up to 20 years, gorging on fish, molluscs and crustaceans. 'The end of their lives sees a fantastic finale. Entering the 'silver eel' stage, their pectoral fins widen, muscle mass increases, their digestive tracts shut down and their eyes grow up to 10 times their original size, all to help see them through one final swim. Once in rivers, European eels live for up to 20 years (Chris Wallis/Western Sussex Rivers Trust/PA) 'Fighting their way back against strong currents, silver eels head 4,000 miles back across the Atlantic to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.' Aimee Felus, chief executive of the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, said: 'The health of our rivers here in the South East is crucial to the quality of our coastal waters, and vital to the health of the many creatures who call these fresh and salt waters home. 'Through our River Guardian monitoring project we are pushing for higher water quality improvements, quicker identification of pollution incidents and raising awareness of how all communities can get involved to help protect their local rivers. 'By removing man-made structures which limit how easily fish species, including the extraordinary eel, can move around, we are helping improve migration routes and their ability to reach better feeding spots. 'With pollution, sewage and drought all playing a part in the diminishing water quality of our rivers and streams, it's more important than ever that we work together to help protect and enhance these precious habitats for wildlife and humans alike.' Jan Knowlson, biodiversity officer for the South Downs National Park, said: 'The eels we have in the national park are truly remarkable and their incredible migration underlines the important connection between our rivers and seas. 'There's a continuum and all these watercourses are joined up. So healthier rivers ultimately mean healthier seas and vice versa. 'Here at the South Downs National Park, we have eight large river systems, dozens of chalk streams and a sizeable coastline and know that having well-managed, cleaner waterways are absolutely paramount to nature bouncing back across this vast region.'
South Wales Guardian
7 days ago
- Science
- South Wales Guardian
‘Eel lanes' being created in South Downs rivers to assist 4,000-mile migration
The project has been launched by the park authority, which is working with the Western Sussex Rivers Trust to protect the habitat of the eel in the Rother and Ems rivers. It includes the installation of 'fish passes' being created around man-made structures in the rivers which act as a narrow lane of water to provide eels with a route around artificial barriers such as dams and weirs. And eel brushes – strips of bristles – are also being added at new water control structures in RSPB Pulborough Brooks and Pagham Harbour to help eels manoeuvre upstream. A spokesman for the national park said: 'The migration of these eels is quite extraordinary as they undergo several metamorphoses during their lives. 'Spawning in the Sargasso Sea, off the coast of Bermuda, the eel eggs hatch into wriggling pea-sized larvae that have the appearance of a see-through leaf. 'Over the next couple of years, these opaque creatures drift along with the Gulf Stream, their bodies elongating as they enter the next life stage as a 'glass eel'. 'Upon reaching the English coastline, they use the force of the tides – and their new-found body shape at around 8cm in length – to push themselves upstream to make a home in rivers, including the Rother and Ems. 'Once in rivers, they go through more life cycles, growing up to one metre in length and living for up to 20 years, gorging on fish, molluscs and crustaceans. 'The end of their lives sees a fantastic finale. Entering the 'silver eel' stage, their pectoral fins widen, muscle mass increases, their digestive tracts shut down and their eyes grow up to 10 times their original size, all to help see them through one final swim. 'Fighting their way back against strong currents, silver eels head 4,000 miles back across the Atlantic to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.' Aimee Felus, chief executive of the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, said: 'The health of our rivers here in the South East is crucial to the quality of our coastal waters, and vital to the health of the many creatures who call these fresh and salt waters home. 'Through our River Guardian monitoring project we are pushing for higher water quality improvements, quicker identification of pollution incidents and raising awareness of how all communities can get involved to help protect their local rivers. 'By removing man-made structures which limit how easily fish species, including the extraordinary eel, can move around, we are helping improve migration routes and their ability to reach better feeding spots. 'With pollution, sewage and drought all playing a part in the diminishing water quality of our rivers and streams, it's more important than ever that we work together to help protect and enhance these precious habitats for wildlife and humans alike.' Jan Knowlson, biodiversity officer for the South Downs National Park, said: 'The eels we have in the national park are truly remarkable and their incredible migration underlines the important connection between our rivers and seas. 'There's a continuum and all these watercourses are joined up. So healthier rivers ultimately mean healthier seas and vice versa. 'Here at the South Downs National Park, we have eight large river systems, dozens of chalk streams and a sizeable coastline and know that having well-managed, cleaner waterways are absolutely paramount to nature bouncing back across this vast region.'
South Wales Argus
23-07-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
‘Eel lanes' being created in South Downs rivers to assist 4,000-mile migration
The project has been launched by the park authority, which is working with the Western Sussex Rivers Trust to protect the habitat of the eel in the Rother and Ems rivers. It includes the installation of 'fish passes' being created around man-made structures in the rivers which act as a narrow lane of water to provide eels with a route around artificial barriers such as dams and weirs. European eels push themselves upstream to make a home in rivers, including the Rother, pictured, and Ems (Jeff Travis/Western Sussex Rivers Trust/PA) And eel brushes – strips of bristles – are also being added at new water control structures in RSPB Pulborough Brooks and Pagham Harbour to help eels manoeuvre upstream. A spokesman for the national park said: 'The migration of these eels is quite extraordinary as they undergo several metamorphoses during their lives. 'Spawning in the Sargasso Sea, off the coast of Bermuda, the eel eggs hatch into wriggling pea-sized larvae that have the appearance of a see-through leaf. 'Over the next couple of years, these opaque creatures drift along with the Gulf Stream, their bodies elongating as they enter the next life stage as a 'glass eel'. 'Upon reaching the English coastline, they use the force of the tides – and their new-found body shape at around 8cm in length – to push themselves upstream to make a home in rivers, including the Rother and Ems. 'Once in rivers, they go through more life cycles, growing up to one metre in length and living for up to 20 years, gorging on fish, molluscs and crustaceans. 'The end of their lives sees a fantastic finale. Entering the 'silver eel' stage, their pectoral fins widen, muscle mass increases, their digestive tracts shut down and their eyes grow up to 10 times their original size, all to help see them through one final swim. Once in rivers, European eels live for up to 20 years (Chris Wallis/Western Sussex Rivers Trust/PA) 'Fighting their way back against strong currents, silver eels head 4,000 miles back across the Atlantic to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.' Aimee Felus, chief executive of the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, said: 'The health of our rivers here in the South East is crucial to the quality of our coastal waters, and vital to the health of the many creatures who call these fresh and salt waters home. 'Through our River Guardian monitoring project we are pushing for higher water quality improvements, quicker identification of pollution incidents and raising awareness of how all communities can get involved to help protect their local rivers. 'By removing man-made structures which limit how easily fish species, including the extraordinary eel, can move around, we are helping improve migration routes and their ability to reach better feeding spots. 'With pollution, sewage and drought all playing a part in the diminishing water quality of our rivers and streams, it's more important than ever that we work together to help protect and enhance these precious habitats for wildlife and humans alike.' Jan Knowlson, biodiversity officer for the South Downs National Park, said: 'The eels we have in the national park are truly remarkable and their incredible migration underlines the important connection between our rivers and seas. 'There's a continuum and all these watercourses are joined up. So healthier rivers ultimately mean healthier seas and vice versa. 'Here at the South Downs National Park, we have eight large river systems, dozens of chalk streams and a sizeable coastline and know that having well-managed, cleaner waterways are absolutely paramount to nature bouncing back across this vast region.'
