Somerset Eel Conference 2024
Here you can find everything you need to know about the speakers at our 2024 Eel Conference, taking place in Glastonbury on the 5th July. Please come and join us!
01
Dr. Willem Decker - Leading Eel Academic
From pest to protected – an account of the development of protection policies for the European eel.
02
Andy Don - eel expert and Environment Agency employee
A fishery research project about tracking the travel and migration of the European Eel.
03
Professor Mark Everard - Author, Scientist & Broadcaster
The diverse needs of different fishes,
including eels, and how these are met by wetlands and the wider ecological needs and how these have been hampered by landscape conversion.
04
Simon Phelps - Senior Adviser, Natural England
An overview of the Somerset Eel Working Group.
05
Jane Brookhouse - Avalon Marshes Project Manager
Somerset Wildlife Trust will be carrying out some work on eels in the
Brue Valley over the next few months and are happy to update the
conference on progress to date.
06
Julia Manning - Artist & Printmaker
An overview of Julia's The Decline of Eels project.
07
Andrew Kerr - Chairman, Sustainable Eel Group
Combating eel trafficking - the
largest wildlife crime of a living creature on the planet.
08
Hannah Strode - Eels in the Classroom Project Co-ordinator
The adventures and wonder of bringing 59 tanks of elvers into
classrooms across Somerset.
09
Mike Baltzer- Executive Director, SHOAL
The 1000 Fishes Initiative: global
action for 1000 of the world’s most
endangered fishes.
10
Dr Laura Weldon - Molecular Ecologist, Founder of The eDNA Consultancy
The detection and monitoring of low
abundance European eel (Anguilla anguilla) populations in inland freshwater locations using environmental DNA.
11
Dan Britton - Regenerative Farmer, Plotgate Community Farm
Water Meadows - an ecological renaissance of regenerative ecosystems, supporting eel recovery.
12
Geoff Carss- Founder and CEO of Wilder Sensing & SERP colleague
The Somerset Eel Recovery Project story so far, with some exclusive film footage from Verity White and out future plans.
13
Abigail Mackay - Wetland Bioscience Team Researcher, WWT
Identifying the presence of Anguilla
anguilla in the Somerset levels using eDNA.
14
Emily Ostler- Environmental Advocate and Writer
Eels: Lessons on Shapeshifting.
15
Alexander Barty - SEG and Upcoming PhD Student
This lecture pays credence to nuance, exposing traces of historic humaneel relations in our inherited context. Productive readings of space and
place will offer solace in a world of rapid socio-economic change.