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Article: Wild eel fisheries on slippery slope as conservation targets begin to bite
- Article from:
- The Irish Times
- Article date:
- September 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Irish Times. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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BELFAST BRIEFING: IT IS a long and perilous journey from the warm
waters of the Sargasso Sea to the relatively chilly confines of
Lough Neagh in the heart of Northern Ireland.
But it is a journey that supports a multi-million pound
enterprise and one that is currently under threat and facing an
uncertain future.
The journey in question is undertaken every year by thousands of
eels that leave their natural spawning ground southwest of Bermuda
to make their way to various destinations in Europe.
One of these is Lough Neagh, which is home to Europe's largest
commercial wild eel fishery.
The fishery, on the river Bann at Toomebridge and Kilrea, plays a
crucial role in the local economy and helps ...