The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) was an abundant species in Europe and North Africa, but this is no longer the case. Experts warn that it is at greater risk of disappearing than animals such as the Iberian lynx or the giant panda and have long demanded measures to prevent its extinction. Now, the United Nations Organization (FAO) proposes to "completely" ban recreational fishing for this fish, in addition to other actions.
This measure is part of a FAO plan to protect the European eel that has been made public through a report this Monday. The organization has investigated the status of this species so appreciated in European cuisine in nine Mediterranean countries - Spain, Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Tunisia and Turkey - between the years 2020 and 2022, and has determined that " is critically endangered."
In addition to prohibiting recreational fishing, the agency proposes a temporary closure of fisheries, in addition to promoting "a monitoring network" that identifies effective measures to change their situation.
Specifically, the FAO proposes a "partial" closure of eel fishing areas for six months a year and the "permanent" prohibition of recreational fishing, that is, fishing carried out for sporting purposes, pastime or non-purpose competition. profit.
"The European eel and the habitats that host its different life stages require action and protection on all fronts: biological, environmental, socioeconomic," said the head of Fisheries Resources of the General Fisheries Commission (CGPM) of the FAO Mediterranean, Elisabetta Betulla Morello.
This expert adds that "cooperation is essential to identify and implement appropriate measures, not only to manage fishing areas, but also to protect the environment."
The document also lists other factors that put the survival of this species at risk, such as climate change, fishing pressure or pollution.
A few weeks ago, Euro-Toques Spain demanded that institutions and all members of the restaurant sector take measures to prevent the disappearance of the European or common eel.
This association, which brings together the best chefs in the country, released a statement in which it warned the following: "the number of elvers that reach our shores has fallen below 90% of what it was before the 1980s." The document also stated that this species is classified as "critically endangered", the step prior to extinction.
"We chefs must commit to not using species and products threatened with extinction in our restaurants. And we must ask our European and state administrations to take measures in this regard," the statement concluded.
