Workshops Are Reviewing Threats to American Eel Population

Biologists and other experts are reviewing potential threats to the American eel at workshops that are the first step toward determining if the species should be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The next workshop will be January 30 - February 2 in Buffalo, New York.

American eels, the only freshwater eels in the Western Hemisphere, live inland to the Great Lakes and in the Mississippi River drainage, including on many national wildlife refuges. Because of an apparent decline in the commercial eel harvest, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service agreed to review the status of the eel.

At a workshop in December 2005, experts assisted in interpreting the information on threats to the eels, identified areas with critical information gaps, and debated the effects on the eel population of migration barriers, commercial harvest, contaminants, disease, and changes in the ocean.

By July 2006, the status review of all biological information available is expected to be completed, and will determine whether the American eel warrants protection.

For updates on the review of the American eel, go to www.fws.gov/northeast/ameel. For more information, contact Diana Weaver, External Affairs, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Diana_Weaver@fws.gov; (413) 253-8329.