It’s a brilliant sunny day again, but then so has every other day been since I left Wales…..so this is what the rest of the world is like! Seriously though they tell me this is the warmest spring for many years and most unusual.
Today I am heading up the coast from Copenhagen to Charlottenlund to meet Jonna Tomkiewicz, Head of the Danish Technical University’s (DTU) collaborative Eel Breeding programme, PROEEL. Sharon and the kids are coming with me as it’s right next door to the Danish Aquarium.
Lovely drive through Copenhagen
Similar experience to Monday trying to find the eel farm. Jonna had told me it was opposite the Aquarium but there were a number of buildings surrounding it so I thought the lady in the aquarium office would know.
“No, DTU, I need an address,”
“But it’s opposite the aquarium.”
“No, don’t know.”
Anyway left my wife and kids in the aquarium and went to explore. About 12 yds to the right of the aquarium was a sign saying ‘DTU’ !
They pointed me in the right direction. I was met by Jonna and her colleague Peter and we strolled across to the beachfront for lunch, which Jonna kindly paid for.
We talked for the next hour about their project (they have managed to get eel larvae surviving to 21 days) and the Japanese success. After explaining my involvement in conservation captive breeding with the Environment Agency I think Jonna was a little bit more at ease. It is quite a prestigious project and there seems to be much competition between workers to get the best results. Jonna gave me the impression she had been let down before.
When we went back to Jonna’s office, Peter took us to his labs in the basement. There were several tall black tanks of about 40cm in diameter by 1m deep with various tubes and pipes entering them. Peter fired up a torch and invited me to look inside.
After adjusting to the dark depth, I suddenly spotted them, tiny little string like fragments about 6mm long hanging vertically in the water. These were actual eel larvae only a few days after hatching! This was such an honour, seeing something that very few people have ever seen.
Peter put one under the microscope for me. It was completely transparent with a bit of pigmentation in the head region and a large oil droplet.
5 day old eel larvae (Christian Draver, DTU)
As soon as light was shone on them they began to swim away, surprisingly quickly with a rapid wriggling movement……..amazing.
Then I bid farewell to Peter, and Jonna and I went up to her office for a chat. I explained to her about my project and what I hoped to do with stocking and setting up an eel culture facility. I discussed my aims to use this facility for collaborative research and tentatively tested the waters regarding potential collaboration between the DTU and ourselves. Jonna was very matter of fact and stated that she would want me to deal with her but not with certain individuals, however she was quite positive about the prospect. This was great news.
Well seeing the eel larvae and making a good contact for future collaboration had really made my day.
My wife and kids were on the beach when I got out so we all set off back for the hotel. That evening we went into Copenhagen
Really into Tom Fort’s book now, he is talking about the American eel and the demise of their fisheries.
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