Toronto and Region Conservation’s fisheries crew have found nine American Eels to date in 2015.
Two were found in the Humber Sea Lamprey control traps and seven were collected during our annual waterfront electrofishing surveys. This brings the total number of American Eels found by TRCA’s monitoring team to 208 since 1989.
An Endangered Species: Threats Faced by the American Eel
American Eels hatch as eggs in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda, then float on ocean currents as larvae to coastal estuaries, where they reside as juveniles, before travelling upstream to freshwater rivers and lakes as adults. They face many threats on this long journey.
Hydro dams and other barriers, for example, often prevent their upstream migration, and the turbines used by hydroelectric generating stations on the St. Lawrence River also increase the risk of mortality. Habitat degradation and parasites also pose threats.
The American eel was once commonly fished in Ontario, both commercially and recreationally. But declining numbers led to the discontinuation of this practice in 2004.
Good News!
TRCA has observed a surge in numbers of eels found over the last few years — good news for the American Eel, which is currently listed as “Endangered” under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 and “Threatened” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife (COSEWIC) in Canada.
This surge may be due to the transportation of millions of American Eels from the Maritimes to Ontario in the late 2000s, as well as the current stocking of young Eels into the Upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) and Ontario Power Generation have been the lead agencies involved in these activities, with support from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
TRCA’s Role
TRCA helps with the research by recording biological measurements and geographical coordinates of American Eels captured before releasing the species back into the water.
Our small role is a perfect example of how existing electrofishing surveys in Ontario can add value to their program by tracking the abundance of sensitive species, like the American Eel, or aquatic invasives, like the Rusty Crayfish or Round Goby, without spending thousands of dollars.
Did you know? Every American eel we catch in Ontario is female; the males don’t make it up as far upstream into the Great Lakes Drainage Basin.
Monitoring Matters! Through scientific data collection, TRCA’s Environmental Monitoring and Data Management team tell the stories about the changes affecting the natural areas and watercourses within our regions. For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our Monitoring Matters e-newsletter, or visit our YouTube playlist.