The eel used to be a common fish in most Värmland watercourses.
Today, it is increasingly rare to encounter an eel in the waters of Värmland.
This is despite a fishing ban that has been in place since 2007.
- The situation is as it was 15-20 years ago.
There are some eels in Lake Vänern but then there is not much more.
98 percent of the European eel has disappeared so it is acutely endangered, says Mikael Hedenskog who is a water administrator at the County Administrative Board in Värmland.
Hydropower death traps for the eel
Today, fishing is not the biggest threat to the eel, but rather hydropower.
In Värmland alone, there are around 150 ponds for electricity production that can become death traps for the eel.
In addition, there are an estimated 700 ponds that do not generate electricity but which often constitute an obstacle to migration for the eel.
- The eel is often killed in the turbines when they walk downstream, says Mikael Hedenskog.
The eel has been classified as critically endangered on the Swedish Red List since 2005 and by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2008.