Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83877 on Eels: Conservation, what research and development projects her Department are supporting through the allocated £350,000 to improve eel management and conservation; and over what time period will this funding be spent; and how this level of funding compares to budgets for similar purposes.

This is a devolved matter and therefore the response relates to England only.

Defra’s funding will support three eel management and conservation projects for delivery in 2026:

• Developing silver eel escapement models to better estimate how many eels migrate to the sea, using survey results from the River Frome

• Research to optimise the trap and transport of silver eels from landlocked water bodies and assess the success of onward migration of trap and transported eels
• Upgrading and extending the life of satellite tags to track silver eels closer to their spawning grounds

Due to the nature of research in the aquatic environment it is not possible to meaningfully compare costs, but all projects are assessed by Defra to ensure policy priorities will be delivered and demonstrate value for money.