£1m investment to protect endangered eels

South West Water has installed new screens in Exeter to help protect vulnerable young eels in the River Exe.

The £1 million investment will ensure young – or juvenile – European eels, a critically endangered species, are protected when the company takes water from the river to treat it for customers.

The new screens have a fine mesh which prevents juvenile eels from getting trapped or injured in the water abstraction equipment, while also protecting other fish species such as Atlantic salmon and brown trout.

Alongside the benefits to eel stocks, the screens, which were designed by consultancy Fishtek, have an automatic cleaning function which results in a huge energy-saving benefit when compared to older-style systems. Over time, it is expected that the energy savings will help offset some of the cost of the investment.

Phil Turnbull, Fisheries and Biodiversity Advisor at South West Water, said: “European eels have been living in our rivers for thousands of years and form an important part of the local ecology and natural heritage. Unfortunately, eel populations have drastically declined in our waters, as a result of habitat loss, blocked migration and overexploitation. They are now critically endangered and South West Water are contributing to collective efforts to reverse the decline in populations.”

South West Water is continuing to invest in improving its operations to protect the European eel population in the region’s rivers, and is working with the Environment Agency to identify high priority sites.

The company is planning to put in place similar interventions at various locations  across the South West to play its part in helping to protect the species.