American Eel Stock Assessment Update Finds Resource Remains Depleted

[DZ]

I use eels - always have (although not as much in recent seasons) - probably always will unless they are protected.

What I find very interesting is the "all hands on deck" approach by the recreational fishing community to protect the menhaden and that species is not even close to being declared "depleted". Of course the real reason many want to protect the menhaden is because they make catching striped bass infinitely easier.

Yet the lowly eel is screaming for protection but we only focus on the elver, with little support from that same recreational community - why? Because eels make catching striped bass easier

We are a strange lot.

[bobber]

Originally Posted by DZ

I use eels - always have (although not as much in recent seasons) - probably always will unless they are protected.



Yet the lowly eel is screaming for protection but we only focus on the elver, with little support from that same recreational community - why? Because eels make catching striped bass easier

We are a strange lot.

DZ- my thought is that tens of thousands of miniature eels are scooped up out of the population every Spring, and that's starts the domino effect of having fewer and fewer eels to get bigger..... I'm not completely opposed to restrictions on taking eels in the later stages of life, but I think the greatest damage gets done by the wanton removal of the tiniest ones

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by bobber

DZ- my thought is that tens of thousands of miniature eels are scooped up out of the population every Spring, and that's starts the domino effect of having fewer and fewer eels to get bigger..... I'm not completely opposed to restrictions on taking eels in the later stages of life, but I think the greatest damage gets done by the wanton removal of the tiniest ones

The "tiniest ones" are the least likely to make it to spawning age.

[bobber]

yeah- especially if you've been scooped up in a net and sold to Japan