The American Eel

American Eel (retrieved from:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/newsroom/eels.html)

The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a freshwater eel which resides along the coast and within the rivers/lakes connected to the North Atlantic Ocean. In Canada, this particular species of eel is currently listed as "special concern" by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) and "vulnerable" by SARA (Species At Risk Act). As of 2010, the Council for Endangered Species Reliability created a petition within the United States to enlist the american eel as endangered. This petition is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The American eel is a panmictic species, all the individuals of the species congregate in one location to randomly mate with one another. The location in which all of the American eels become one mating population is in the Sargasso Sea. The Sargasso Sea is a body of water within the southern portion of the North Atlantic Ocean near Florida (as seen below). After spawning within this sea, the eel proceed to move into rivers, lakes and other freshwater environments to grow and mature.

Sargass Sea (retrieved from: http://www.bermuda-triangle.org)

Within Newfoundland, the habitat of the American eel is quite extensive due to a large number of suitable habitats. At least 17 locations are known to contain American eels along and within the Newfoundland coast.

According to COSEWIC's management plan, the reason why the American Eel has been listed as "special concern" along with possible causes for the decline is:

"...Indices of abundance in the Upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario have declined by approximately 99% since the 1970s...Possible causes of the observed decline such as habitat alteration, dams, fishery harvest, oscillations in ocean conditions, acid rain, and contaminants..." (COSEWIC, 2006).

The management for the American Eel within Newfoundland falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) and have taken certain actions within their management plan to help with the population recovery of the species. Eel fishing seasons along with minimum length requirements have been set, licenses for only certain areas are sold, and by-catch exclusion devices are now mandatory (to avoid accidental catches).

When compared with the United States, Canada (& Newfoundland especially) is much further ahead in the recovery efforts for the American Eel population. As long as Canada keeps progressing in their management plan and the United States creates a management plan, the American eel should have a fighting chance at recovering to pre-1990 levels.

References:

COSEWIC 2006. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the American eel Anguilla rostrata in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 71 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm).

Wildlife Division. 2010. Management Plan for the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) in Newfoundland and Labrador. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Corner Brook. Canada. v + 29 pp.