World production CATCHING IN PACIFIC of freshwater eels has increased over the past decade and about ISLAND COUNTRIES AND 233,000 t were harvested in 2000, with a value of USD 978 TERRITORIES million (FAO 2002). The artifi- cial propagation of eels has not yet been achieved commercially. Introduction For aquaculture, glass eels or Satya Nandlal, elvers must be caught from the The is a fascinating creature Aquaculture Officer, wild for stocking in culture and has long been studied in Secretariat of the Pacific facilities. The increasing world- great detail. Reports indicate Community wide demand for eels and the ([email protected]) that since the time of the ancient overexploitation of many eel Greeks, people have wondered fisheries present an opportunity where eels came from and Eels are consistently fished for eel culture. Pacific Island where they spawned. Eels have because of their accessibility and countries offer a good environ- been considered a gourmet del- market demand. According to ment in which to culture eels, as icacy for thousands of years in the United Nations Food and they grow rapidly in tropical cli- many parts of the world. Agriculture Organization (FAO), mates, preferring a temperature there has been a global decline range of 23–28° C, and a pH Eels are found in marine, brack- in the eel catch, from a peak of range of 7.0–8.0. In ideal condi- ish and fresh waters worldwide 18,600 t in 1994 to 12,700 tonnes tions they grow to marketable and reports suggest there are in 2000 (Europe 5300 t; Asia size (150–200 g) in 10 to 20 15–19 species in total, with 2400 t; Oceania 1600 t; North months, although their growth about 10 species in tropical America 1100 t). A portion of rates can be extremely variable. waters and 5 in temperate these catch figures refer to glass For pond-based aquaculture, waters (Fig. 1). Of these species, eels and elvers. The International the best site is one with a con- the Japanese eel (Anguilla japon- Council for Exploration of the stant water supply; other pond ica) is most important in East Sea (ICES) declared the eel features are generally similar to Asia (, Japan and Taiwan), spawning stock to be over- those required for tilapia and the European eel (A. anguilla) in exploited from safe biological prawns. Europe (mainly Italy and the limits (FAO 2002). Some of the Netherlands), A. australis and A. reasons attributed to the decline Eels are consumed in PICTs and reinhardtii in Australia, and A. in catches are river develop- particularly in Fiji, where it is an bicolor, A. megastoma and A. mar- ment and dam construction, important source of protein for morata in PNG and other Pacific overfishing and environmental the rural indigenous popula- Island countries and territories degradation. tion. In some localities, high (PICTs). demand has led to the collection of young eels from the wild for culture in tilapia ponds.

In Fiji, elvers and juvenile eels are caught from estuaries, mountain tributaries, swamps and ditches using various types of local gear. These eels are grown to marketable size in ponds designed for tilapia cul- ture and sold live at FJD 10.00 per kg at Suva and Nausori markets. An artisanal capture fishery also exists in Fiji, with small volumes of wild adult eels captured from the wild and sold at some municipal markets.

Figure 1: Anguilla obscura (Photo by Pierre Laboute, © IRD)

44 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #115 – October/December 2005 CATCHING EELS IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES

continuous soft-rayed fin fringe (see Fig. 2). The freshwater eel varies in colour from dark brown to greenish, black, yel- lowish white, and golden yel- low on the belly. Eels are found in rivers, streams, creeks, swamps, lakes, pools, reser- voirs, wells, fish ponds and along the coast. Eels feed on a variety of feeds such as fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and ter- restrial and aquatic insects.

Figure 2: Eel morphology In Fiji, when the word “duna” or “bham”is used, it is certain Eels are still largely under- address eel capture, life history, that the fish referred to is the so- utilised in PICTs, despite the the potential for aquaculture and called common eel, Anguilla, present shortage of many more other aspects. We urge readers to which occurs in most of the established marine food fish. send any information or stories islands. The taxonomic classifi- One reason may be that the that they wish to share with us cation of eel is as follows: public remains unfamiliar with and others in the region. eels, and there may be little Kingdom: Animalia awareness of eels as a potential General description Phylum: Chordata candidate for aquaculture. With Class: Osteichthyes sufficient clean water and avail- The eel has an elongated snake- Order: Anguilliformes able land for aquaculture, and like body, is very slimy and is Family: given the dwindling interna- without scales. A pair of pec- Genus: Anguilla tional supply of eels, PICTs toral fins is positioned just have the opportunity to devel- behind the small head, and The family contains a single op an eel capture fishery and there is a small gill opening in genus Anguilla, with about culture industry. Some agencies front of each fin. The back and 15–19 species. The eel species have expressed their desire to anal fins are very long and identified so far are given in help develop this industry by merge with the tail to form a Table 1, along with the areas of funding research to gain knowl- edge of the availability of the Table1. Some of the eel species found in the world. species in the wild, due to the fact that eel culture is totally dependent on the availability of Species Distribution wild glass eels and elvers. Anguilla reinhardi Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, PNG A. australis Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, PNG In PICTs, eels are caught with A. marmorata Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, PNG, New Caledonia hand lines, spears, cane knives A. bicolor PNG, , Indian Ocean and push nets. This gear is designed to capture a wide range A. megastomata Fiji, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti of fish and crustaceans and is not A. obscura Fiji, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti. specific to capturing eels. In A. japonica Japan, China other parts of the world, special- A. bengalensis Indian Ocean ly designed traps, otter trawls, A. mauritiana Central Pacific long lines, fyke nets, haul seines and other gear types are used to A. borneensis Borneo catch eels. In some localities in A. mossambica Indian Ocean PICTs, the indigenous popula- A. nebulora Indian Ocean tion has traditional knowledge of A. celebesensis Philippines the best times to capture eels; in others, stories are told about eels. A. pacifica East Pacific This article presents some basic A. anguilla Europe, Iceland, North Africa information on eel catching A. rostrata North America , Greenland methods and a brief description of eels. Future articles will Source: Lane (1978), Allen (1991)

SPC Fisheries Newsletter #115 – October/December 2005 45 CATCHING EELS IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES the world where they normally the catch is mainly for subsis- pulling it up. If the spearhead occur (this is not a complete list tence use. Generally, the gear lacks spikes, the capture of the of species or distribution). types that are used target edi- eel is by spearing and then grip- ble-sized eels and do not cap- ping it or holding it down and The life history of the species that ture juveniles or disturb the hauling it up by hand. have been studied is similar. Eels habitat. In some localities, vil- migrate downstream to the sea lagers wish to limit the number The spears are usually used in upon reaching sexual maturity. of eels, which would otherwise shallow streams or creeks when Spawning occurs in centralized prey upon other species of fish visibility is sufficient to distin- locations in the deep ocean. The in pools, ponds and rivers. guish the eel moving or lying small larvae (leptocephali) swim idle in the water; at most times and are carried by ocean currents Baited line the eel’s head will be jutting out to coastal areas, where metamor- of an “eel hole”, a dead wooden phosis occurs and the young A fishing line with baited hooks trunk or a bamboo pole. Eels are gradually assume the appear- is used in a number of ways in most commonly speared at night ance of adults (elvers) and rivers, creeks, streams, lakes, with the aid of a bright light. migrate upstream. Eels have very muscular bodies and are drainage canals and swamps well adapted to reach remote and pools in Fiji and in some streams high in the mountains, other PICTs. and even travel across damp land. Reports indicate that eels The most common approach is may take as long as 10–20 years to use a small baited line (10–20 to attain sexual maturity before kg test) attached to a two to making their migration back to three-meter wooden pole and the sea. cast into the stream, river or pool water. This method is usu- Fishing methods and gear ally practiced by women for catching eels in streams after The catching of eels in Fiji and flash floods or rainfall. The bait other Pacific Islands normally used usually consists of earth- involves inexpensive and very worms and fishes (such as mos- simple gear, which include: quito fish, Gambusia). Another baited hook and line, spears, method uses a fishing line with push nets, hollow bamboo piece baited hooks (no pole used), or PVC pipes, baited trap, and which is cast into rivers, streams seine nets. Of these, the first and lakes. The bait usually con- Figure 3: Eel spear three methods are the most sists of chicken gut (something commonly used. The choice of smelly) or fish such as Push net method may be governed by the Gambusia. The line may be set in types and costs of materials the evening and checked at A push net or hand net is used available in villages. The author hourly intervals, or set at night in estuaries, streams and is unaware of any regulations and hauled in the morning. This swamps for catching eels along regarding the type of gear that method allows catching of eels with other local fishes and crus- can be used for catching eels, as with minimum damage to the taceans, usually by fisher- body; eels may be kept in moist women. A net up to 0.5–1.5 m baskets for sometime before long and 0.5–1.5 m wide, and being sold in markets, roadside with a mesh size of 4–10 mm is stalls or cooked. manageable. The net is operated by pushing it in slow moving Eel spears water over a smooth bottom in estuaries that are covered or Several types of spears are used, partially covered with grass. although a thin iron rod fixed to The net may also be fixed into a a wooden pole (see Fig. 3) is the deep portion of an estuary by most common type in Fiji. In pushing the ends of two poles some designs, the spearhead into the ground and disturbing (the end of the iron rod) is sharp the water so that fish and eels and has a small spike in the move into the net. Eels hiding in front portion, permitting cap- crevices and holes are disturbed ture of the eel by spearing and by pushing a hand inside them,

46 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #115 – October/December 2005 CATCHING EELS IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES permitting the eel to move into pipes are usually set in the (see Fig. 5), longlines, shore the net; eels may also be caught evenings and hauled the follow- seines and electric fish traps are by hand and pulled out and ing day. This pipe method is also not used in PICTs and are thus transferred into the basket. used for removing eels from not mentioned here. Fishers are prawn and tilapia ponds. encouraged to use baited traps, PVC pipe or bamboo method however, many types of Cane knife portable traps have been used Various types of pipe or hollow including empty buckets or any pole are used: PVC pipe (dia Villagers who do not have the trap-shaped structure. 25–100 mm), polyethylene pipe, above-mentioned gear use a iron pipe, hollow bamboo, etc. cane knife to catch eels by chop- References PVC pipe (dia 75–100 mm and ping them at whichever place length 1–3 m) is usually preferred the knife strikes the . In Allen G.R. 1991. Freshwater fishes (see Fig. 4). One end of the pipe is some instances, the blunt side of of New Guinea. Christensen closed with chicken wire mesh. A the knife is used to strike the Research Institute, Madang, string or rope is tied to the other head of the eel. But some fear PNG. end to permit hauling on the pipe. their eel may escape unless Some pipes have a small hole in chopped in half. This method is FAO. 2002. FAO Yearbook: the central portion for placement usually used for catching eels in Fishery statistics-aquaculture of bait. The pipe is placed on the shallow streams or creeks at production. 90. Rome, Italy. bottom of a river, swamp or estu- night with a bright light. ary, with the mesh-covered end Lane P.J. (1978). Eels and their facing the current to allow water Other methods utilization. Marine Fisheries to flow through it. The eels usual- Review. 40(4):1–20 ly move inside the pipe and Other methods of catching eels, ”sleep” inside these tubes. The such as baited traps, fyke nets

Figure 4: PVC pipe or bamboo method

SPC Fisheries Newsletter #115 – October/December 2005 47 CATCHING EELS IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES

Figure 5: Baited traps and fyke nets

Juvenile eel caught from a prawn grow-out trial pond at Futuna on 26/10/05

48 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #115 – October/December 2005