Axbridge CofE First School Pupils Release Endangered Eels into Somerset Levels

July 22, 2024

Last night, BBC’s Countryfile reported on pupils from Axbridge CofE First School who have participated in a significant conservation effort by releasing endangered European eels into a river on the Somerset Levels. The school had been given a tank containing around 25 baby eels, which the children cared for over a period of three to six weeks.

This initiative is part of a larger project across schools in Gloucestershire and Somerset aimed at educating children about the dramatic decline of the European eel species.

The Sustainable Eel Group (SEG), who are supporting Somerset Wildlife Trust with the project, highlights the importance of overcoming barriers that prevent eels from migrating through the Somerset Levels.

Flood defences, such as the Huntspill sluice, pose a significant obstacle, preventing millions of eels each year from reaching their natural habitats.

75 million glass eels each year are coming up the Bristol Channel in spring, wanting to go onto the Somerset Levels and up the Severn. The biggest issue with them not getting through is the flood defences stopping them.

The education project is putting eels back into the rivers above some of these barriers, so that they have the chance to grow and live in the rivers, be part of the local habitat and hopefully become adults and go back to spawn in the sea.

The project not only aims to help the eel population but also to instill a sense of environmental stewardship in the participating children. By caring for the eels and then releasing them into the wild, students from Axbridge CofE First School are making their contribution to the conservation of this endangered species.

Axbridge First School Headteacher, Mr Shillabeer said, ‘We are incredibly proud of our pupils for their dedication and enthusiasm in caring for the eels. This project has provided a wonderful hands-on learning experience, teaching them about the importance of conservation and the impact we can all have on our environment. Seeing the children release the eels into the wild was an inspiring moment for all of us.’

You can watch the full Countryfile episode on BBC iPlayer.