European Commission, Parliament & Ministers:
Take Action for the eel!
• Eel is listed as ‘critically endangered’ by the IUCN;
• The recruitment of juvenile eel is extremely low: in the North Sea an average of 1.5% of the levels of the reference period 1960-1979;
• Despite the current joint EU management framework, which has been in place for more than 10 years, there are no signs that the eel is recovering;
• The evaluation by the European Commission, of the implementation of the eel regulation, found that silver eel escapement is still well below the set target;
• Illegal catches and trafficking of glass eel into Asia have become a major problem. It is considered to be the biggest wildlife crime in Europe!
• Mortality caused by anthropogenic impacts remains much too high. This includes habitat loss, recreational and commercial fishing on all life stages, hydropower, pumping stations and pollution.
We are well on our way, but we need your help!
In 2017, Ministers promised to improve implementation of measures to help the European eel recover. However, nothing much has happened since. We therefore urgently ask the Member States and the European Commission to:
1. Speed up the removal of barriers to reduce the deaths of eel migrating into or out of freshwater habitats;
2. Make sure that member states are going to effectively implement the 40% escapement target of the eel regulation;
3. Review current restocking and relocation practices to prevent misuse of tax funds and to prevent illegal trade;
4. Further reduce of commercial and recreational fisheries on eel;
5. Ban illegal fishing and trade by ensuring full traceability of eel in all life stages.
The European eel is a European concern. Sign this petition now to tell our European policy makers that you do not want the eel to disappear!
This petition is initiated by the non-profit organisations Good Fish, RAVON foundation, The Fisheries Secretariat and with the financial support of the Dutch Postcode Lottery.
Become an eel supporter!
With your help we can make a stand in Brussels, so sign the petition.
More about this campaign
For a starters, we want at least 30.000 signatures on our petition. We want everyone to know how grave the eels’ situation is, because only then will people change their behaviour. The more signatures, the greater the pressure on politicians will be. The countries in the European Union have made agreements to protect the European eel and is doing so by tackling illegal fishing and trade as well as by devising solutions to guide eel safely past locks, dams, and hydroelectric plants. Yet, no one is monitoring whether the countries are honouring their agreements.
Share the campaign
These organizations support the Power to the Eel Campaign:
