New Lifeel activity in Comacchio Valley to foster the restocking of the European eels

On Tuesday, 29th of November, 2022, 150 European eels were caught, tagged for follow-up, and released in the Comacchio Valley wetland area. They are expected to come back to where they were born, in the Sargasso Sea, among the Bermudas and Antilles Islands.

The Anguilla anguilla species is known to take a long path of several thousands kilometers during their life; they reach the shallow waters of several internal brackish watersheds where they grow. Only at sexual maturity they start a comeback path towards their birthplace, for reproduction.

The project Lifeel endeavours to track the path of the European eels in order to foster an integrate action of restocking of the species, which is enlisted among the critically endangered species in the IUCN Red list.

The release of the eels in the Comacchio area is intended to be another contribution to their restocking and protection.