In particular, it points out that the decline in the number of glass eels originating from the leptocephalan larvae from eel reproduction in the Sargasso Sea region first began in the peripheral areas of the European eel’s colonisation zone, particularly in the Baltic, from the middle of the 20th century.

He describes the characteristics of this fishery and the fishing gear used to exploit this fry.

He mentions the creation of the AFPMAR to highlight the efforts of professional fishermen and ensure the traceability of a fishery that is one of the most widely controlled and regulated.

He mentions the reduction in the economic value of the glass eel fishery as a result of the implementation of regulation 1100/2007, and in particular the fact that it is no longer possible to export glass eel for consumption outside the European Union.

Despite the efforts made to enable the fishing industry to achieve the objective of reducing fishing mortality set out in Regulation 1100/2007, fishing is once again being restricted by the European Commission and remains the only sector to pay the environmental bill, despite the plundering of habitats by a wide range of uses.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)