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European Eel

A Critically Endangered Species to Fully Protect

The Tale of an Enigmatic Species

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is one of nature’s great travelers.

Born in the distant Sargasso Sea, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, it begins an incredible journey to the rivers, lakes, and coastal waters of Europe and the Mediterranean.

As tiny larvae, eels drift with the ocean currents for thousands of kilometers. After about two years, they arrive near the European coast and transform into transparent "glass eels". From there, they swim into freshwater or brackish environments, where they grow into what are known as "yellow eels."

Years later, when fully grown, they change once again — this time into "silver eels" -and begin their long journey back to the Sargasso Sea, some 7,000 kilometers away. There, they reproduce once and then die, completing a life cycle that still holds many mysteries for scientists.

Sadly, this remarkable species is now in serious danger.

European Eel: A Species on the Brink

The European eel is in grave danger. Overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, migration barriers, and climate change — which weakens ocean currents — are all threatening its survival.

The numbers are stark: eel populations have plummeted to less than 10% of their historical levels. Urgent conservation efforts are essential to save this species.

Since 2020, scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) have called for a full ban on fishing European eels at all stages of their life.

But fishing is still allowed during certain times of the year—even during their migration, a critical phase in their life cycle. Today, in the Mediterranean Sea, recreational eel fishing is banned—but professional fishing is still permitted for up to six months each year.

Eels continue to be caught at their most vulnerable, especially during the “glass eel” stage. And many fishing bans fail to align with the migration of “silver eels”—the mature eels that return to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce. This journey is crucial for the species' survival.

Time is running out. Only a permanent fishing ban, stronger protection of their natural habitats, and tougher enforcement against illegal fishing can give the European eel a chance to recover.

Le deboli misure di protezione introdotte dal 2007 non sono state in grado di arginare il suo declino. Oggi nel Mediterraneo é vietata la pesca ricreativa all’anguilla, mentre la pesca professionale continua ad essere autorizzata per ben 6 mesi all’anno.

L'anguilla viene ancora pescata allo stadio vulnerabile di ceca ed il divieto di pesca spesso non coincide con il periodo di migrazione dell’anguilla argentina, considerata uno stadio chiave per il mantenimento della popolazione.

Le soluzioni al declino dell’anguilla esistono, ma  rimane poco tempo. Solo un immediato divieto di pesca per tutti gli stadi vitali dell’anguilla, il ripristino dei suoi habitat, la lotta alla pesca illegale possono sostenere il suo recupero.

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FRA del delta dell’Ebro

Quest’area importantissima per l’accrescimento e la riproduzione di specie commerciali, ospita habitat vulnerabili, come il corallo bamboo e diverse specie di pennatula. L’istituzione di una FRA al largo del Delta dell’Ebro potrebbe contribuire al recupero di stock ittici come il nasello, in una zona in cui i tassi di sovrasfruttamento sono tra i più alti di tutto il Mediterraneo.

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FRA del Golfo del Leone

la zona centrale del Golfo del Leone è una delle aree più produttive e ricche di biodiversità del Mediterraneo occidentale. Inoltre, i fondali al largo del Golfo del Leone recentemente sono stati identificati come una delle zone prioritarie per la conservazione degli ambienti profondi del Mediterraneo.

Nel 2022 MedReAct ha proposto la creazione di una nuova FRA nel Golfo del Leone, area ricca di ecosistemi e specie vulnerabili come i coralli di profondità, capodogli e squali.

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The Mediterranean is a wealth of biodiversity, home to 17,000 marine species, 7.5% of those found globally.
Yet only a tiny fraction of its waters are truly protected. Threatened by climate change, pollution, intensive and illegal fishing, the Mediterranean is losing its biodiversity.

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