Cordons of glass eels can be seen along the quays in Bordeaux, fishing is abundant just about everywhere, and consumption quotas have been reached in just a few days in many catchment areas. Everything seems to indicate that the glass eel is returning in abundance. Of course, we need to take into account the impact of weather conditions on the behaviour of juveniles. The formation of cordons of glass eels along the banks may be linked to the strong pressure of fresh water, which prevents the tide from advancing in the estuary and concentrates the flow of glass eels in areas with less current. However, abundant fishing with a push sieve, when hydraulic conditions allow the flow of glass eels to progress, shows that glass eels are not only concentrated near the banks, but are also present throughout the water mass.
It’s a good way of thumbing one’s nose at those who ‘play the Cassandra’ by predicting the end of the species. Of course, the battle is not yet won. While fishermen have achieved the objectives set out in EU Regulation 1100/2007: a sharp reduction in their exploitation rates, other uses have done little or nothing to minimise their impact on the environment. And let’s not forget that to produce eels you need access to the wetlands still present in the lower reaches of catchment areas. What is the European Commission waiting for to take measures in this direction and speed up the recovery of the free movement of the species, instead of doing everything to eradicate fishing!
What are our elected representatives and NGOs waiting for to push for this instead of calling for a moratorium on fishing for the species, as some are doing?