Escapement Success And Patterns Of Downstream Migration Of Female Silver Eel Anguilla Anguilla In The River Meuse

Downstream migration of female silver eel Anguilla anguilla (L.) was studied by remote telemetry in the lower part of the River Meuse (Belgium and The Netherlands) using a combination of 9 detection stations and manual tracking. N=31 eels (LT 64-90cm) were implanted with active transponders and rele...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Verbiest, Hilde, Breukelaar, André, Ovidio, Michaël, Philippart, Jean-Claude, Belpaire, Claude
Other Authors: AFFISH-RC - Applied and Fundamental FISH Research Center - ULiège
Format: Conference Object
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/124058
https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/124058/1/Verbiest%20et%20al%206th%20WFC%20Edinburgh%20Silver%20eel%20migration%20on%20R%20Meuse-1.pdf
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Summary:Downstream migration of female silver eel Anguilla anguilla (L.) was studied by remote telemetry in the lower part of the River Meuse (Belgium and The Netherlands) using a combination of 9 detection stations and manual tracking. N=31 eels (LT 64-90cm) were implanted with active transponders and released in 2007 into the River Berwijn, a small Belgian tributary of the River Meuse, 326 km from the North Sea. From August 2007 till April 2008 13 eels (42%) started their downstream migration and were detected at two or more stations. Mean migration speed was 0.62 m.s-1 (or 53 km.day-1). Only two eels (15%) arrived at the North Sea, the others being held up or killed at hydroelectric power stations, caught by fishermen or by predators or stopped their migration and settled in the river delta. A majority (58%) of the eels classified as potential migrants did not start their migration and settled in the River Berwijn or upper Meuse as verified by additional manual tracking.