Swim Drink Fish Blog
Read the latest updates and news releases about community science, water monitoring, Artists for Water, and more.
Bring back the Eel: A review of the American eel’s life history and conservation status
We're in love with the American Eel – it's the quintessential Lake Ontario fish! The species once made up half of the lake's biomass but man-made barriers, overfishing, and pollution took their numbers down to the point where they're now nearly absent. As the year winds down, here is an ode to the fish we work so hard to protect and hope to one day see again in abundance.
American Eel needs Ontario's help to recover, Waterkeeper tells province
The Eel was once the most abundant fish in Lake Ontario. It swam from the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda, up the St. Lawrence River, and spent most of its life here before returning to the ocean to spawn.
Because of barriers (dams, causeways) and loss of habitat from development, the Eel has virtually disappeared from our waters.
Under Ontario's endangered species legislation, the Province must develop a recovery strategy. This document was published in 2013 and the public was invited to comment. The province's response is due within 9 months.