The new ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) advice for 2023 has just been published. No surprises are to be expected: in the absence of data concerning the assessment of this resource and on the sole trend of glass eel recruitment, the expert group, in accordance with the precautionary approach (not to be confused with the Precautionary Principle), advises prohibiting all eel fisheries, including those intended for restocking and farming. Only one fishing action is considered by the working group, that intended to facilitate the passage of eels upstream of obstacles, provided that the downstream migration of silver eels is guaranteed.

If the working group demands that anthropogenic mortalities other than fishing be reduced to zero, that aquatic habitats be restored and that ecological continuity be improved within the framework of the Water, Marine Strategy and Habitat Directives, this is nothing more than wishful thinking, since ICES has no authority in this matter, and will obviously have no impact on the continuity of the degradation of our aquatic ecosystems.

It is also regrettable that the scientific bases on which the working group relies are unreliable and supported by data that are becoming increasingly degraded, even though they exist and are provided by professional fishermen. No data is provided by France, even though these data are perfectly recorded, which gives more and more weight to the series of data collected outside the central part of the distribution area (Bay of Biscay), which is the first to benefit from the improvements observed in recruitment (see the trend in catches per trip on the Adour for example).

Once again, this type of opinion, which is far too sectoral, uses fishing activity as an adjustment variable and indirectly supports the inertia of many managers in protecting our aquatic environments.