Saving the European Eel – best practices
In 2024, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is set to agree on long-term management measures for the critically endangered European eel in the region. Our two organizations, MedReAct and FishSec, are committed to the recovery of the European eel population in the Mediterranean and beyond. We will be holding a side event on European eel at GFCM Forum on Fisheries Science in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (Fish Forum) in Antalya on 22 February 2024.
European eel has been listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN since 2008 and recruitment is now at less than 10 percent of historical levels. For 2024, the scientific advice on fishing opportunities is zero catches for all life stages in all waters. Thus, it is extremely important to agree on long-term measures to aid the recovery of this species, which is still exploited in most Mediterranean countries.
Our joint event will highlight some of the challenges that need to be addressed in the future management of European eel, new research that may inform management decisions, and examples of best practices to support eel recovery.
The following presentations will be given at the event:
- Domitilla Senni, Director, MedReAct: Why the management of European eel in the Mediterranean is important to us and the recovery of eel.
- Caroline Durif, Principal Research Scientist, Institute of Marine Research, Norway: The evolving story of catadromy in the European eel.
- Ms Zakia Driouich Sebbata, Secretary General of the Ministry of Maritime Fisheries, Morocco: Sustainable management of the European eel stock in the Mediterranean Sea: case of the Kingdom of Morocco.
- Niki Sporrong, Senior Policy Officer and European Eel Project Manager, FishSec: Baltic and EU eel recovery from an ecosystem-perspective.
After the presentations, there will be a Q&A session.
The event will be held at the GFCM Fish Forum in the Plenary Hall at the Titanic Mardan Palace, Antalya on 22 February 2024 from 12 to 14 pm.