Gordon Ramsay Criticised For Eating Endangered Eels

The Telegraph reports "Celebrity TV chef Gordon Ramsay has angered conservationists by trapping and cooking endangered eels."

He was filmed trapping elvers - young eels - on the River Severn for his F Word show and then cooking them on a barbecue before serving them on toast.

Mark Salt, secretary of the National Anguilla Club, said Ramsay should be "ashamed" of cooking endangered eels which conservationists are trying to save.

He said: "With eels stocks at their lowest ever, Gordon Ramsay should be thoroughly ashamed of his exploits.

"For a chef who is supposedly responsible, preaching conservation and sustainable food sources, this sort of behaviour is deplorable.

Eel Decision in Netherlands

 
Sportvisserij Nederlands (EAA Holland) has adopted a decision at their annual General Assembly last weekend that anglers in the Netherlands shall catch eels on a catch and release basis only.

This is in line with the EAA resolution from last year 'on a ban of fishing for eels in order to save the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) from extinction in Europe'.

The ban -which is not a legislative measure but a voluntary code adopted by the Dutch anglers themselves- takes effect on 1 January 2009.

Scientists have estimated that it'll take 80-100 years for the eel to recover to previous levels.

Sportvisserij Nederlands now actively will contribute to the promotion of saving the eel and supporting science and research aimed at the eel's recovery.

The Yorkshire Eel Summit:

On Wednesday 14th May 2008 the Environment Agency will be holding a summit to discuss the decline of Anguilla Anguilla, and hopefully begin to achieve a solution. The NAC's General Sec. Mark Salt will be in attendance.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) has declared that the European eel stock is outside of safe biological limits and that the fishery is not sustainable. As all European eels form part of a single population, action taken at a local level can be of international benefit.

The Environment Agency Gives Eels a head start:

Thousands of elvers have been poured into rivers in Yorkshire and Derbyshire as their numbers had dropped. See the BBC video clip at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7352875.stm

The Specialist Anglers Alliance - Meeting 11th May 2008

Mark Salt General Secretary of the NAC attended the SAA meeting in Leicester on behalf of the club. Here's a brief report from Mark;

I attended my first SAA meeting on Sunday, and was most impressed with commitment of the members and committee, who all showed a real passion for getting things done. Several single species groups were represented, as well as ECHO (English Carp Heritage Organisation). Eels were not on the agenda at this meeting, but were discussed at the previous meeting when the current state of the EMPs (Eel Management Plans) that have to be submitted to the European Commission by 31/12/2008 were highlighted. I am attending the Yorkshire Eel Summit in Leeds on Wednesday, and will report back in more detail as to how these plans will work. It would appear that the EMPs are the main initiative for dealing with the disastrous levels of elvers returning to our shores, and I will attempt to feed as much information back via the Anguilla Club publications and our website as is useful to our members.

Another major topic was the unification of angling organizations. This appears to be progressing, with the SAA very ably represented by Mike Heylin at the negotiating table. We all need to be aware of what is happening here, as the future of our sport can only be assured if we are represented capably and strongly in what is a very political arena.