Eel Research 1965-1971

Abstract

The catch of eels for the Republic of Ireland is very low. It averages 125 tons a year, thus comparing unfavourably with such figures as 800 tons for Northern Ireland and 1,500 tons for Holland. Since 1965 experiments have been in progress to find out whether there is any possibility of increasing the production of this valuable fish. A detailed report of the investigations was completed in March 1972 and this leaflet gives a summary of the most important conclusions. The approach to the problem was to make a study of some aspects of the life of the eel, concentrating on lakes where commercial eel fishing was well established. In addition to this some fishing trials were made in the estuaries of rivers such as the Munster Blackwater and the Shannon where no large-scale eel fishing had ever taken place.