Waterford inshore fisherman Sean Doherty will share his knowledge of eels with primary school children in Passage East, Waterford to mark World River Day this week.
The students will be given a demonstration on nets and eel tagging at Cheekpoint harbour, where the rivers Barrow, Nore and Suir - the so-called “three sisters” – meet.
They will also participate in a search for eels under stones and will be shown how eels are released back into the water, according to Coastwatch coordinator Karin Dubsky.
World Rivers Day takes place annually on the fourth Sunday of September, but this event is being held on Thursday to allow students to mark the occasion.
World Rivers Day
It is being hosted by Coastwatch and Inland Fisheries Ireland, with the support of the Local Authorities Water Programme.
The focus is on eels, as they are now a “red-listed” species at risk throughout Europe, due to a collapse in numbers, Dubsky said.
“All eel fishing in the Republic of Ireland has been closed for a number of years,” she said.
Pupils will hear how the “diachronous” species spawn in the Sargasso Sea and how they arrive on European shores where they mark several live stages.
“We will look at where eels live, monitoring and what might be done to restore eel habitat and increase survival in Ireland,” she said.
