The FUTURE of a volunteer-led project to save eels in the county from extinction has been thrown into doubt.

The Herefordshire Eel Project, led by Golden Valley Fish and Wildlife Association with the support of the Lugg and Arrow Fisheries Association, has restocked Herefordshire waters with 15,000 critically-endangered baby eels.

However the future of the group's work is now in danger as governmental environment authorities are concerned about the biosecurity of the restocking work.

Ian McCulloch, project leader, said: “We have tried hard to save as many eels from export abroad as possible. In this time we have saved over a quarter of a million, now hopefully growing-on in Herefordshire. However the export trade still continues, licensed by the government, and numbers of baby eels coming into the Wye in the Spring from the sea indicate that we are now in Extinction phase."

According to Ian, fishing for eels has intensified while numbers have decreased thanks to the high demand for exports of elver exports.

He added: "We tried everything to raise public awareness to the imminent extinction of eels, including banging on the door at Number 10, Downing Street last year with a 2000 signature petition. We haven’t heard a squeak in response from government. ”

According to Bob Barnard, from the Golden Valley Fish and Wildlife Association, the annual restocking has increased the number of eels in the river Dore fifteen fold from a near zero level.

He added: "What we have done here demonstrates what can be done if elvers are stocked-out, or allowed to enter their rivers naturally, and proves the success of our work. We are very grateful to the excellent and generous donations, without which this would have been impossible.

"It is a great shame that we are now being prevented from continuing this work and that the people in charge at DEFRA continue to licence the export of these red-listed creatures.”

The partners of the project are now looking at ways to secure the future of their work.