Growth and production of yellow eel (Anguilla anguilla) and the number of glass eel to fulfill the Danish EMP

Silver eel were sampled in 1981 and 1983 in River Brede, Denmark, with outlet to the North Sea. Yellow eel in River Køge-Lellinge, Denmark, with outlet to the Baltic Sea, were sampled 1965-1968. Silver eel were aged by burning the otoliths. Silver male ages varied from 4 to 25 years, lengths 30.8 to 45.3 cm, and female silver eel varied from 7 to 25 years, lengths 42.3 to 77.3 cm. Assuming linear growth of silver eel at yellow eel stage, von Bertalanffy trajectories of length-atage of male and female yellow eel were calculated in both rivers. Younger yellow eel had significantly higher annual growth rate compared to older age groups, and females grew significantly faster than males. Two models for annual natural mortality M were used to estimate number of glass eel needed to produce the number of silver eel for each sex and silver age group. Annual silver eel production from River Brede Å was 49.2 kg ha^-1, demanding 2,894 glass eel ha-1. In River Køge-Lellinge, the silver eel production was 48.5 kg ha^-1, demanding 5,570 glass eel ha^-1. It was calculated, that one thousand glass eel (0.29 g) contributed to 8.8 kg silver eel in River Køge-Lellinge, and 17.0 kg silver eel in River Brede. To fulfil the Danish EMP in rivers requires annual stocking of 33 tons or 9.4 million reared on-grown eel (3.5 g) to compensate for 183 tons lost silver eel.