#713: Eels

I work in Ely - a city named after eels, and with a cathedral whose construction was partly funded by the sale of them. They used to be plentiful but now they are in steep decline.

This BBC article traces the epic journey of the European Eel.

It looks at the work of the Somerset Ely Recovery Project.

European eels begin life in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda and drift 5,000km (3,106 miles) to Britain in an "epic" journey marvelled at by experts. But due to changes to their habitat and migration routes, the species is now classed as critically endangered, with about 90% fewer compared to the 1980s.

Campaigners say the eels have been suffocated by water engineering, while the Environment Agency said it was working with partners to improve fish passage at more than 100 migration barriers.

Activists say for the eels, it is crucial more action is taken to improve their journey routes to save them from extinction.

One group, based in the West of England, is also hoping to boost people's knowledge of the creature in a bid to reverse its decline.