It is mainly in winter that glass eels are harvested, and cold spells with snow are frequent. It is impossible for glass eels to rise or move in these conditions. If there is then a storm, there is no chance for fishing. This explains the small quantities landed by the French glass eel fishery at the start of the season. This is all the more worrying given that low tidal coefficients are expected for next week. With so few fishing days left, it will not be easy for fishermen to reach their consumption quotas in certain Management Eel Units.
A disastrous economic record for the moment
The catch data for 2025 and 2026 are in kilograms. Landings for 2025 are registered on 15 January and for 2026 on 9 January. They only concern catches by fishermen who have the largest part of the quota, but a very short fishing time to use it up.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Restocking | 3685 | 645 |
| Consumption | 10875 | 4068 |
| Total | 14560 | 4713 |
Compared to 2025, landings for the 2026 season during the same period for sea fishing represent one third of the landings made in mid-January 2025. For inland fishing, the situation is hardly any better. Only inland fishermen on the Adour River, who had started their season early, were fortunate enough to consume almost their entire consumption quota (996 kg, or 96% of their quota). This shows that fish were present.
It is uncertain whether this year’s consumption quota, which is already very low, will be reached if hydro-climatic conditions continue to be unfavourable.