Although France agrees with the scientists’ conclusion on eel stock, it is opposed, together with eight Member States, to the quasi-ban on eel fishing as proposed by the European Commission.

The new regulation will be highly regionalised and will only come into effect from March 2023.

The State Secretary for the Sea has thus obtained the possibility of adapting the new 6-month closure period, consecutively or not, according to the development stages of the species and according to the different geographical areas in order to maintain a fishing activity adapted to each basin.