Making Eel Ropes with Swimways Project
Earlier this year, North Wales Rivers Trust volunteers rolled up their sleeves to support our Swimways project by taking part in two hands-on workshops focused on helping one of our most mysterious and endangered migratory fish – the European eel (Anguilla anguilla).
Hosted at Llyn Parc Mawr, not far from the Afon Braint, the workshops brought together enthusiastic volunteers to build straw eel passes. These simple but effective devices are designed to help juvenile eels (elvers) move upstream by giving them a rough, climbable surface to navigate barriers like weirs, culverts, and other in-river structures.
Why Do Eels Need Our Help?
European eels have an extraordinary life cycle. Born in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, they drift for thousands of kilometres across the ocean as larvae before arriving in European rivers as tiny glass eels. Once here, they begin a long migration upstream to find freshwater habitats where they’ll grow and mature for up to 20 years, before making the journey back to the ocean to spawn and die.
But it’s not an easy journey. Across the UK and Europe, thousands of barriers—from dams and sluices to old mills and culverts—block or slow the movement of eels and other migratory fish. These obstacles can make it impossible for elvers to reach suitable habitat and dramatically reduce the number of adult eels returning to spawn.
The European eel is now critically endangered, and improving river connectivity is one of the key actions we can take to support their recovery.
What Is a Straw Eel Pass?
A straw eel pass is a low-cost, nature-based solution made from materials like coir matting or bundles of drinking straws. When fixed to the side of a weir or barrier, they provide a textured surface that mimics natural roots and debris, allowing eels to wriggle their way up more easily.
During the workshops, our volunteers constructed several of these passes using eco-friendly materials. The passes will be installed at key sites identified through the Swimways project, where they can make a real difference to eel migration.
About the Swimways Project
The Swimways project is all about restoring the routes that migratory fish need to complete their life cycles. From salmon and sea trout to lamprey and eels, these species depend on free-flowing rivers and healthy habitats from source to sea.
By working with landowners, local communities, and conservation partners, the project aims to:
Improve fish passage through barrier removal or modification
Raise awareness about migratory species and their needs
Connect people to freshwater and marine ecosystems through workshops, events, and citizen science
Thank You to Our Volunteers
We’d like to give a huge thank you to all the volunteers who joined us at Llyn Parc Mawr for the eel pass workshops.
