The Thames Anglers' Conservancy in partnership with the Zoological Society for London (ZSL) monitors the eel trap at Molesey weir. Volunteers from the TAC have been trained in how to record any eels that are caught in the trap during the migratory season.
ZSL volunteer training at Molesey Weir
Research over the last 30 years has shown that the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is facing a range of threats that are severely impacting on their recruitment – and potentially their populations in freshwater – leading to its 2008 Critically Endangered classification in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. The number of young eels joining the resident adult population across European catchments is believed to have declined by up to 95% since the early 1980s.
In 2005, in response to this alarming decline, the Zoological society of London set up its Eel Monitoring Programme.
Environment Agency Eel regulatory position – July 2012
This page will give regular updates of the Eels caught during 2013, and if you are interested in joining this important conservation project, please contact the TAC at admin@rivertac.org
Final ZSL report on all Eel Monitoring sites for 2013
Molesey Eel Trap results 2013
14/04/2013 – 0
20/04/2013 – 0
23/04/2013 – 0
28/04/2013 – 0
04/05/2013 – 0
11/05/2013 – 1
18/05/2013 – 2
22/05/2013 – 0
25/05/2013 – 0
01/06/2013 – 0
04/06/2013 – 0
07/06/2013 – 0
Due to technical issues with the river level between Sunbury and Molesey, checking was suspended until a solution was found at the end of June. The level had been lowered to facilitate the removal on the 'B' weir and little flow was coming through the Eel pass.
01/07/2013 – 300
02/07/2013 – 314
03/07/2013 – 44
04/07/2013 – 46
06/07/2013 – 44
08/07/2013 – 19
10/07/2013 – 105
11/07/2013 – 21
13/07/2013 – 26
15/07/2013 – 208
16/07/2013 – 106
17/07/2013 – 45
18/07/2013 – 87
19/07/2013 – 112
20/07/2013 – 37
23/07/2013 – 21
24/07/2013 – 251
25/07/2013 – 131
26/07/2013 – 81
27/07/2013 – 61
29/07/2013 – 43
31/07/2013 – 7
03/087/2013 – 3
A issue with the head water level at Molesey meant the trap was out of action for around 7 days
13/08/2013 – 70
14/08/2013 – 40
17/08/2013 – 19
18/08/2013 – 14
19/08/2013 – 6
21/08/2013 – 10
24/08/2013 – 19
27/08/2013 – 66
29/08/2013 – 38
01/09/2013 – 15
03/09/2013 – 25
06/09/2013 – 10
07/09/2013 – 31
11/09/2013 – 25
Grand Total for 2013 – 2473
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped this year
Find out how we and all the other sites got on in 2012 : Update Dec 2012 – ZSL Annual Eel report