Oranienbaum-Wörlitz (dpa/sa) – The eel population in the Elbe is recovering. Thanks to intensive stocking efforts by professional and amateur fishermen, a slight upward trend in the Elbe eel stock can be seen, explained the President of the Saxony-Anhalt State Fishing Association, Gero Weinhardt. This year, too, 335,000 young eels are to be used in Saxony-Anhalt’s waters. The stocking costs amount to over 100,000 euros.
The list of extinct migratory fish species as a result of water pollution and water blocking in the Elbe is long, as Weinhardt explained. Salmon, sturgeon, houting and allice shad have already been pushed out. Now they are fighting for the existence of the eel as the last remaining of this species.
According to the Saxony-Anhalt State Fishing Association, industrial and commercial companies should also take part in the resettlement and renaturation measures. In this way, they could do justice to the environmental polluter pays principle. So far, the stocking costs have been covered by the fishing fee from anglers and fishermen and by the participating fishermen and anglers’ associations’ own funds.
