An example of fishing trip that illustrates the quality and traceability of the glass eel caught by AFPMAR members.
As night fell, a small fishing boat is slicing through the waters of the Loire estuary, moving slightly upstream of the Cordemais power station. https://anguilleresponsable.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/sequence1-Loire.mp4 On the Loire, which has a turbid estuary, there’s no need to wait until nightfall to start fishing. The turbidity of the water prevents light, especially on cloudy days, from
Read MoreGlass eel season 2025: all the indications suggest that they will return in abundance
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
Read MoreA single quality standard for glass eels used for restocking in France: that defined by the guide to good practice for fishing and restocking.
The first restocking in 2025 was carried out in the south-west of France on the Biscarosse – Parentis lake (see our previous news item) under the coordination of the CRPMEM of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Comité Régional des Pêches Maritimes des Pêches et des Elevages Marins). The glass eels came from both fluvial and marine fisheries, fished with
Read More950,000 AFPMAR brand glass eels released into the rivers of the Rhineland Palatinate (Germany)
950,000 glass eels (300 kg) caught in south-west France by professional fishermen belonging to the AFPMAR brand were stored and then transported by the Société de Mareyage Aguirrebarrena, an AFPMAR member company. The glass eels were stocked in the Rhine, Moselle and Saar rivers under the supervision of Mr Wolfgang Treiss (Chairman of the Managing
Read MoreIn 2025, a first release of glass eels into Lake Biscarosse-Parentis (Southwestern part of France)
On 15 January 2025, the first glass eel was released into the Biscarosse – Parentis lake in the Landes region of France (Southwestern part of France). 300 kg of glass eels in excellent condition were stocked. The New-Aquitania CRPMEM (Regional Organisation for Marine Fisheries) was in charge of the restocking project, which was supported by
Read MoreThe AFPMAR publishes its Standard
The European eel fishery is one of the most regulated and controlled professional fisheries in France by national services and administrations. The AFPMAR standard describes all the criteria and controls applied to the glass eel fishery. In addition to the regulatory controls carried out by the various administrations from capture to sale to the end
Read MoreAFPMAR in the German fisheries press
In volume 4 of 2024 of the German magazine ‘Fischerei & Fischmarkt in Mecklenburg – Vorpommern’ Patrick Prouzet reports on the current state of glass eel fishing in France. Fischereizeitung-4_web see page 42. In particular, it points out that the decline in the number of glass eels originating from the leptocephalan larvae from eel reproduction
Read MoreThe Commission’s decision on TACS and quotas for 2025 – update on European eels
In a press release dated 11 December 2024, the European Council announced its decision on eels. “Given the continued critical state of European eel, the Council decided to continue the six-month closure period for any commercial eel fishing activities, with certain exemptions already agreed for 2023 and 2024, and to keep prohibiting recreational fisheries.“ It is clear
Read MoreMore than two thirds of the consumption quota consumed in just a few days on the river section of the Adour
The glass eel were a little slow to appear on the banks of the Adour due to the unfavourable weather conditions in November. As soon as these changed, with a drop in water and turbidity conditions allowing them to migrate to the surface, the fishing trips were successful, as they had been last year, with
Read MoreTime to make our voice heard
Tossed around, mistreated and accused of every kind of turpitude, small-scale continental, estuarine, lagoon and coastal professional fishermen are more than fed up with being the scapegoats of a European administration that only listens to environmental or industrial lobbies, without taking into account the distress of many fishing communities who are simply suffering from environmental
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