Nature & Wildlife, New Forest | Posted on December 29th, 2025 | return to news

Eel-y fantastic pass reconnects vital habitat in New Forest

A new eel pass has been created in the New Forest to help one of the UK’s most enigmatic and critically endangered species.

The work, carried out by Freshwater Habitats Trust (FHT), has transformed what was previously an impassable ditch into a vital migration route for eels and other aquatic life.

The eel pass consists of two six-metre long pipes under an access track on an estate in the east of the Forest. This has created a safe pathway for young eels (elvers) to move upstream.

It also better supports varying flows of water and is less prone to becoming clogged with leaves or sediment.

The pipes have been modified with a resin and shingle lining to provide enough grip to allow elvers to wriggle upstream to safer and more suitable habitats.

The area previously experienced erosion, leading to water spilling over and sediment entering the stream which caused difficulties for fish, invertebrates and aquatic plants.

However, the transformation means the site now forms a small but crucial part of the wider habitat network needed to support eels.

These remarkable creatures travel thousands of miles every year from the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean to UK rivers and streams. Unfortunately, barriers like weirs, culverts and disconnection from floodplains can make their journey impossible.

The work carried out by FHT is part of the New Forest National Park Authority-led Species Survival Fund (SSF) project, which is aiming to halt species decline and expand habitats for species across the Forest and beyond its boundary.

As well as the eel pass, other FHT projects undertaken under SSF on the site have included restoring wetland and heathland areas to help connect and expand species’ habitats.

One of the key aims of the £1.3million SSF project is to restore freshwater connectivity and improve breeding and feeding conditions for priority species around the New Forest.

Ponds have been created, streams restored, and advice given to landowners by FHT to help protect, improve and expand the freshwater landscape and meet climate change pressures among other measures.

FHT is working alongside Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), Wild New Forest, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association for the project to boost nature recovery around the New Forest.

The project is funded by the Government’s Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.