Falling eel stocks a concern

ON a visit to the royally-endorsed English Market, in Cork, globetrotting TV chef Rick Stein was pulled, as if by magnetic force, to the seafood corner, as are many.

There he chanced upon marine delights which he clearly enjoyed, especially the smoked eel.

Once plentiful in many waterways, like countless other species, eel is now regarded as a rare-enough delicacy. No longer found in many rivers, numbers have fallen dramatically and the need for conservation has been highlighted in recent years.