Sustainability of European Eel Population: A Statistical Survey on Production, Conservation Status and Market Trends

Among fishery products, the European eel is the most important commercial species in the world, and it is also significantfor its socio-economic, historical and biological importance. Due to the increase of world demand of fish and fisheryproducts for human consumption, that entails an increase in fishing effort in national and international waters byinvolving overexploitation of wild fish stocks, the European eel is, constantly and increasingly, in serious danger ofextinction. This paper analyses, through a statistical survey, the production, conservation status and market trends of theEuropean eel in order to provide an overview of the wild stock consistency and to contribute to discourse on the eelpopulations’ sustainability. Furthermore the analysis aims to highlight critical issues – e.g., data used and stock size –and to indicate specific strategies for monitoring and control and for implementation of protection measures. Resultsshow that, due to the highly aggregation of statistical data at international and national level and to the lack of datafor several years, it is difficult to draw a clear and exact profile. However, all statistical data confirm the negative trendof European eel stock. By means of a comparative analysis of several official statistics, it is clear, indeed, the relationshipbetween the wild animals’ exploitation for productive purposes and the drastic reduction of wild stock of European eel.The several measures taken to protect this species, among which the inclusion in the red list of critically endangeredspecies and the subsequent export ban, certainly represents a sign of this critical situation, and a confirm of the needto additional safeguard activities.