- Say No
Eel
Latin names: A. reinhardtii, Anguilla australis
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Farmed
Region:
QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS
- Eels are farmed on land in ponds and tanks. These operations are small-scale and generally have a low impact on habitat.
- Although eels are raised in farms, juveniles are sourced from the wild. Eels are listed as threatened species in many areas in Australia, as a combination of fishing pressure and environmental conditions have depleted populations.
- Eels are carnivorous and require moderate amounts of wild-caught fish in their feeds. The amount of wild-caught fish used in feed is currently more than the weight of eel produced.
- VIC, QLD, NSW, TAS
Eels are farmed in land-based ponds and recirculating tanks. Effluent from farms is treated and released back into rivers and lakes, and is sometimes used to irrigate fields. Overall, the production of eels is small and farms have a low impact on their local environment. The concern lies with the impact on wild eel populations.
Due to their complex life history (adults migrate from freshwater to the sea to reproduce), it has not been possible to breed eels in hatcheries. Therefore, juvenile eels are collected from the wild for rearing to adult size on farms. However, eels are a protected species in TAS, VIC and SA due to population declines as a result of both high fishing pressure and susceptibility to environmental fluctuations – for example, eel abundance is highly affected by drought conditions.
Eels are carnivorous, and require moderate amounts of fish protein in formulated fish feed. The amount of wild-caught fish used in feed is currently more than the weight of eel produced, although it is likely this will improve and dependence on marine resources will be reduced over the coming years.
