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INDICANG - UK

INDICANG - UK. UK PARTNER - Westcountry Rivers Trust UK Project Manager - Dr Polly Bown. Camel Catchment. Camel Catchment. Geographical location. We are going to look at the Tamar and Camel catchments, both in the Southwest of England. River Camel. Slapton Ley. Geographical location.

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INDICANG - UK

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  1. INDICANG - UK UK PARTNER - Westcountry Rivers Trust UK Project Manager - Dr Polly Bown

  2. Camel Catchment Camel Catchment Geographical location We are going to look at the Tamar and Camel catchments, both in the Southwest of England

  3. River Camel Slapton Ley Geographical location • In addition to investigations on the rivers Camel and Tamar, we have been asked to help setup an eel monitoring system, by the Field Studies Council, looking at Slapton Ley and its associated tributaries.

  4. Physical Characteristics CAMEL • A 413km2 catchment that is approximately 40km long • A major tributary of the Camel is the Allen • The catchment is made of sandstone, slate and granite • Historic mining and quarrying within the catchment • The Camel Valley is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). • 93% of the Camel catchment is agricultural land

  5. Physical Characteristics TAMAR • 975km2 catchment with 18-35km long tributaries • Tributaries include the Ottery, Inny and Lyd • Most of the catchment is made up of sandstone and shale, known as the Culm Measures • Copper and Zinc contamination through mining • There are several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Tamar catchment

  6. Physical Characteristics SLAPTON LEY • Slapton Ley is the largest freshwater lake in South West England • It is recognised as a National Nature Reserve (NNR) wetland • The Ley was created geomorphologically by the natural damming of an estuary by a shingle bar, now known as Slapton Sands

  7. Camel Catchment Environmental Constraints AFFECTING UK EEL POPULATIONS & WORK WITHIN INDICANG Habitat Loss* - • Wetland loss. There are no data available for the Rivers Camel, Tamar and Slapton Ley, however this could be mapped through Indicang from past and present aerial photos. • Eel migration barriers (dams, weirs and dykes). None of the rivers have been mapped for eel migration barriers, but they could be mapped through Indicang. There are no large barriers, such as hydro-electric power stations. * Identified from Our Nation’s Fisheries Report. Environment Agency

  8. Camel Catchment Environmental Constraints AFFECTING UK EEL POPULATIONS & WORK WITHIN INDICANG Pollution* - • Siltation and nutrient pollution. Water quality data is available from the Environment Agency but has never been mapped in relation to sites where eels have been found. This work could be completed through Indicang • Effects of bioaccumulation on Eel reproduction *Identified from Our Nation’s Fisheries Report. Environment Agency

  9. Camel Catchment Environmental Constraints OTHER CONSTRAINTS ON UK EELS Parasites* - • Impact of Anguillicola crassus on Eel populations (no data for the Tamar, Camel or Slapton Ley) Oceanic Climate change* - • Possible effect of Atlantic Oscillation Predation* - • Cormorants taking Eels *Identified from Our Nation’s Fisheries Report. Environment Agency

  10. Eel Exploitation FISHING EXPLOITATION & WORK WITHIN INDICANG Tamar - There are a few registered official eel fishermen on the Tamar who use Fyke nets for yellow and silver eels. We are trying to find out if there are official records of these catches and if there are any available data on sport fishing. Camel - No registered eel fishermen. Slapton Ley - Historical fishermen and a licence in place for renewed Fyke netting for yellow and silver eels. We are hoping to gather data by contacting fishermen.

  11. Eel Status • Past data on yellow eels have been obtained on the Camel and Tamar by the Environment Agency, but only through bi-catches during electro fishing for Salmonids. Past information for the Tamar and Camel is currently being collected through Indicang and will be added to current data. Past data is also being collected for Slapton Ley but there is no current data. Through Indicang we hope to extend monitoring to eel specific sites to gain more data on yellow eels. • There are no data on elvers and silver eels. We hope to improve this knowledge through Indicang by setting up monitoring. • In the UK as a whole no river has data from all life history stages. After Indicang we hope to have data for all three (elver, yellow and silver) on the Tamar, Camel and Slapton Ley. • Little data means it is hard to know if areas within catchments have altered in eel density. Data from UK index rivers suggest that eels have declined to 1% of historic levels*. * ICES (2002). Report of the ICES/EIFAC Working Party on Eels, Nantes France 2 -6 September 2002 International Council for the Exploitation of the Sea, Copenhagen, Demark. 87pp.

  12. Biological Studies on Eels within the UK • Electro fishing for Salmonids have previously been conducted in a number of rivers, with eels noted as a bi-catch (Environment Agency). • Catch returns from UK commercial elver fisheries have been noted for the river Severn and Bristol Channel (which drain into the same area as the Camel river). • Data is currently being gathered for eels on many UK rivers by Bark, Williams and Knights at Kings College London and Westminster University. • The work through Indicang will supplement the current eel research.

  13. Possible Environment Constraints that may affect eel populations WITHIN THE CAMEL ,TAMAR AND SLAPTON LEY CATCHMENTS: • Habitat Loss - There is no research on mapping wetland loss in the catchments • Migration Barriers - These have not been mapped with respect to eels • Water Quality - Although this data has been collected it has not been mapped with respect to eels • Eel Fishing - It is unlikely to be a constraint on the Tamar and Camel due to low levels. It was thought to impact on eel populations in Slapton in the past, but there is no supporting data • Parasites - No data on parasites within these catchments • Predation - No data

  14. Summary of the UK Indicang project • There has been little monitoring of the Eel populations within the Tamar, Camel and Slapton catchments and eels have only been caught as a bi-catch. Extend eel specific monitoring of elvers, silvers and yellows in all three river catchments, where possible. • Although attention to Salmonid barriers has occurred Eel migration barriers have not been mapped. Therefore, eel migration barriers will be mapped in all three rivers, where possible. • Wetland loss within the catchments has not been mapped. Where possible current and past wetlands will be mapped for all catchments from aerial photographs.

  15. Summary of the UK Indicang project • Water quality has been recorded but not analysed in relation to Eel populations. Therefore, past and present water quality data will be gathered and mapped for all rivers, where possible. • Contact current and past eel fishermen in order to gather data on catches. • Present findings and organise meetings with river managers, eel fishermen and the general public to disseminate the work of Indicang.

  16. INDICANG - UK UK PARTNER - Westcountry Rivers Trust UK Project Manager - Dr Polly Bown

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