Researchers recently recorded the first-ever sightings of mature "silvering" European eels in Cyprus, marking the easternmost confirmed reports of the species in this life stage.
Their study, published in the Journal of Fish Biology, suggests these critically endangered eels are completing their freshwater phase on the island before heading back to sea to spawn.
European eels are known for being travelers. They are born in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, and they drift to European waters as larvae. There, they grow up in rivers and freshwater habitats and then transform into silver eels before migrating back to the ocean to spawn.
Silvering European eels have previously been recorded as far as some regions of Turkey but never as far east as Cyprus, according to a Bournemouth University press release about the study.
While the researchers, led by scientists from the university, are excited by the discovery, they are also concerned for the species. River fragmentation and dry stretches of waterways in places such as Cyprus' Polis River can make it harder for eels to move upstream and downstream, which is crucial for their survival and reproduction.
"We noticed that the fragmentation of the river, where the water had dried up, was preventing good numbers of eels moving upstream," study leader Sotiris Meletiou, of Bournemouth University, said in the press release. "This was also delaying downstream migration for some individuals."
That's especially concerning because European eel populations have declined dramatically over the past century due to pollution, habitat loss, climate pressures, parasite infections, and overfishing. The European eel is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List, making its protection essential.
The researchers indicated that the recent finding underscores the need for stronger conservation and river management efforts in Cyprus to help protect the species.
While European Union legislation has mandated the development of Eel Management Plans — or EMPs — to help conserve remaining populations of European eels, Cyprus is currently exempt from the plans, per the university.
"The discovery of all eel life stages of an unexploited eel population in Cyprus provides an opportunity for this island to contribute to the recovery of eel populations in the region," Dr. Malen I Vasquez of the Cyprus University of Technology, who helped analyze the data from the survey, said in the release. "This is the first step in the development and implementation of the EMP, which we suggest is required urgently."
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