European eel

European eel is a critically endangered species. There is no sustainable source of this species, and zero catch is recommended. It therefore receives a critical fail red rating and is a Fish to Avoid.There is a single European eel stock, for which scientific advice on fishing and management is provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The species is considered to be at critically low levels, with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing European eel as ‘Critically Endangered’ since 2008.Data on this stock has many uncertainties. Total landings and fishing effort are incomplete, with reporting inconsistent between countries, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing known to occur. As a result, total catches remain unknown. Reference points to define a healthy stock size of sustainable fishing level are not available.European eel is monitored at various life stages. After spawning in the Sargasso Sea, larvae migrate to European rivers and develop into glass eels. They then develop into yellow eels during their freshwater phase, before maturing into silver eels which return to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die. Recruitment through these stages declined sharply between 1980 and 2011 and has remained low since.Provisional estimates of recent recruitment show mixed trends. In ‘Elsewhere Europe’, glass eel recruitment rose from 7.2% to 12.1% of the 1960-1979 baseline between 2024 and 2025 – the highest since 2003, but still a very small fraction of historical levels. In contrast, ‘North Sea’ recruitment of glass eels fell from 1.3% to 0.7% of the historical baseline over the same period. For yellow eels, recruitment estimates are provided for only ‘Europe’. In 2024, yellow eel recruitment was estimated as 14.3% of the historical mean – the highest value since 2020, but again a small proportion of historic levels. These figures and trends must be treated cautiously due to the unpredictable nature of recruitment. European eel is exploited throughout its lifecycle and across Europe, with fishing pressure ranging from minimal to severe overexploitation. ICES has advised a precautionary approach, recommending zero catches in all habitats for 2026. This applies to both recreational and commercial fisheries, including the capture of glass eels for restocking and aquaculture.The poor status of the species reflects multiple pressures which are encountered throughout the species’ life cycle and migration through diverse habitats. Pressures and threats, other than fishing, include:Barriers to migration – including damage by hydropower turbinesClimate change – including changes in oceanic currents and climate related hydrological changes.Disease and parasitesLegal and illegal exploitation and trade of eelsHabitat loss and associated resource declinePollutantsPredation