Eel populations declined by 98 per cent in the Guadalquivir basin. (Photo: Junta de Andalucia/FIS)

Investment of over EUR 950,000 to recover the European eel

SPAIN
Thursday, September 09, 2010, 03:50 (GMT + 9)

Both the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Government of Andalusia will invest nearly EUR 955,000 into the recovery of the European eel (Anguilla anguila) until 2012.

The species was listed as 'critically endangered' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Funding for the recovery plan of the eel will be separated into two parts, the Government will provide EUR 704,739 through the Public Agency of Environment and Water, which will implement the Resources Recovery Program.

Meanwhile, EUR 250,000 will be allocated to carry out monitoring and controlled studies of the species until 2011, through an agreement with the University of Cordoba, reports the Europa Press.

The plan was submitted by the Government of Andalusia to the Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) in July, and has provided a 10-year moratorium on fishing for eels in inland and continental waters.

The initiative will also aim to reduce fishing of the species by 100 per cent.

It is expected that during this period it will be prohibited to sell eel, with the exception of incidental catches caused by the taking in of water in aquaculture plants and in special cases when the Government has granted authorisation to do so.

However, aquaculture facilities will have to return specimens of less than 12 inches in length: 35 per cent in 2011 and 60 per cent in 2013.

The plan proposes to reclassify the conservation category of the species, which currently holds the eel in the Red Book of Vertebrates in Andalucia under 'Low Risk-Slightly Threatened' rather than 'Critically Endangered'.

In addition, it is also included in the Andalucian Catalogue of Endangered Species under the category of 'endangered species', as its population declined by 98 per cent in the Guadalquivir basin.

In these waters, the European eel lost 88 per cent of their habitats due to river traffic, pollution by heavy metals such as mercury and lead, and the use of "illegal and very harmful" fishing gear.

According to the document, with every kilogram of eel caught, they would loose a further 66 kg of other species, or approximately 500,000 specimens from 37 species.

It also stresses that "all marketing of the Guadalquivir eel us carried/out without the sanitary measures established by law."

The restocking of eels in Guadalquivir will take the most of the productive area, which will have free access to the sea and where human factors influencing their mortality is minimal.

The Andalusian Government will provide aid to offset the effects of the ban on European eel fishing, for fishermen who rely upon it and have purchased specific gear used to capture the species.

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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