Opvolging van de palingstand in het Leopoldkanaal als evaluatie van het aangepast spuibeheer in functie van verbeterde glasaalmigratie (2014-2024): Eindrapport

The European eel has been declining sharply in numbers for decades and is currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. One of the main causes of this decline is the obstruction of the upstream migration of glass eels. To promote the influx of glass eels, adapted sluice management is applied annually in the spring in the ports of Nieuwpoort, Ostend and Zeebrugge. During the rising tide, certain sluice gates are opened slightly to allow glass eels to migrate upstream more easily.
Although adjusted sluice management is used less frequently in Zeebrugge than in other watercourses, and the potential for increasing eel density is therefore not yet fully exploited, a clear positive effect has been visible since 2019. The intensification in 2021 and the relatively high application in 2022 and 2023 led to more young eels in the period 2021–2024, indicating a structural rejuvenation of the population.