Overview
- At a press conference, the LPO joined scientists, fishing representatives and chef Christopher Coutanceau to demand an immediate moratorium on European eel harvesting at every life stage.
- The draft order under public consultation would set glass‑eel quotas at 55 tonnes for 2025–2026 and 43 tonnes the following season, with a five‑year pause only on recreational freshwater fishing of adult eels.
- Professional fisheries could continue to take both glass eels and adults under the proposal, a stance critics say prioritizes a lucrative trade over species recovery.
- Scientists cite a roughly 90% population decline since the 1980s and the IUCN’s “critically endangered” status, noting ICES has recommended a complete stop to all eel fishing since 2022.
- France remains one of the few European countries still allowing civelle and eel fishing, with campaigners warning that tens of millions of juveniles are removed each season for consumption, restocking with poor traceability, and an illicit market fetching thousands of euros per kilo; the consultation closes on 24 October.