「鰻魚蓋飯的未來Ⅲ〜科技能救鰻魚嗎? 」

2015年7月9日，東亞鰻魚資源協會（EASEC）日本分會，在東京大學農學院彌生禮堂舉辦公開的研討會「鰻魚蓋飯的未來Ⅲ〜科技能救鰻魚嗎? 」。本次是此一主題的第3次會議，除了主題演講，還包發括8項研究課題，並加入相關業者代表的討論會，以及針對與會人員的意見及提案，進行綜合討論。
　　主題演講者是日本大學的塚本勝巳教授，題目為：「鰻魚、科技及研究人員」。他說研究、漁業、養殖與行政等領域之人員，因為立場不同，在鰻魚資源保育上亦持有不同觀點，需要加以整合；並就鰻魚人工種苗生產研究的歷史和重要課題提出報告，指出目前種魚的催熟仍需耗時2個月，發育過程的差異頗大，要成功量產人工種苗，仍有諸多關鍵課題亟待解明。
　　東京大學的板倉光發表「河川生活期的生態和環境改變的影響」。根據其在利根川水系進行移送放流試驗(將鰻魚從捕獲地點，再移送到原放流點)的結果，發現再放流後的數日內，鰻魚幾乎都會返回被捕獲點，代表鰻魚對棲息地有很強的回歸性，定居性很高。另外，棲息於天然河川的個體，由於能獲得來自陸上的蚯蚓等餌料，營養狀況較好，但水泥護堤可能會阻斷從陸上帶來的餌料。
　　九州大學的望岡典隆發表「產官學聯合放流的效益調查」。將野生捕獲和人工養成的鰻魚進行放流，調查其成長差異，結果發現，前者軀體變粗，而後者則是有很多個體變瘦，代表成長率有很大的差異。望岡指出，養殖鰻在放流後5個月，有可能還無法適應河川環境。至於捕獲率，野生鰻為16.5%，養殖鰻則只有3.8%，另外夏天的捕獲率比冬天高。
　　北里大學的筒井繁行發表「從身體防疫機制反應出品種的差異」，指出不同品種的鰻魚，免疫系統亦有差異。調查顯示，鰻魚屬的19種鰻魚，都具有C型凝血因子，但顯現的功效不盡相同，因此異種鰻的引入應慎重檢討。
　　出席討論會的業界代表包括：全國淡水魚荷受組合聯合會的鈴木治、日本養鰻漁業協同組合聯合會的白石嘉男、日本鰻輸入組合的森山喬司、合同會社 西友的金山亮、PAL制消費者合作社聯合會的秋山貴彥、共同通信社的井田徹治、中央大學的海部健三及水產廳的太田慎吾等，一起就確立人工種苗生產技術、禁止捕撈野生鰻魚、從經濟和消費層面探討資源不足的因應對策、杜絕不透明的交易、河川環境保護等課題交換意見，有人表示「應該要制定一個有科學根據的可能交易量」，而要呈現有科學根據的可能交易量，必須「在入池前明白告知鰻線的捕獲地點」和「設定適當的公佈場所」。 另外，太田對天然資源究竟要恢復到什麼程度才算穩定提出質疑，但因為目前相關的科研數據仍嫌不足，資源穩定與否的判斷指標尚待確認，而且現階段的資源狀況亦尚未達到這種階段，因此首要之務應該是決定入池量的上限，一邊執行一邊確認資源的變動情形。
　　除了上述各項主題之外，其他的報告主題包括：日本大學渡邊俊的「產卵生態研究的新領域」；中央水產研究所張成年的「追蹤調查海洋中的成鰻所探知的資訊」；東京大學金子豐二的「朝向完全養殖的仔魚生理研究」以及北海道大學足立伸次的「生殖形質分析和選種育種」。
譯自：うな丼の未來Ⅲ—科學はウナギを救えるか.養殖ビジネス,52(10):66-66, 2015.

豐收年?! 今年鰻苗 元/尾...

豐收年?! 今年鰻苗 50元/尾...
2016-2-24
全体で180㎏くらいの採捕があったと思われます
中国の累計採捕数量は10,860㎏と昨年の倍以上になっています
地域格差が大きい今年のシラスウナギ漁です⋯⋯
今後国内のシラスウナギは小型化してきて
餌付けに相当神経を使うことになりますが
上手く行けば池にとってかなりの収穫になりますので
3月9日闇の大潮第4波前後の池入れ準備をお願いします

最美的60句宋詞！

 1、一場消黯，永日無言，卻下層樓。——柳永《曲玉管》

2、可惜流年，憂愁風雨，樹猶如此。——辛棄疾《水龍吟》

3、縱使相逢應不識，塵滿面，鬢如霜。——蘇軾《江城子》

4、東風夜放花千樹，更吹落、是如雨。——辛棄疾《青玉案元夕》

5、春歸何處？寂寞無行路。若有人知春去處，喚取歸來同住。——黃庭堅《清平樂》

6、十年生死兩茫茫，不思量，自難忘。——蘇軾《江城子》

7、三十功名塵與土，八千里路雲和月。——岳飛《滿江紅》

8、舊日堂前燕，和煙雨，又雙飛。人自老，春長好，夢佳期。——韓元吉《六州歌頭》

9、玉骨西風，恨最恨、閑卻新涼時節。——周密《玉京秋》

10、東風似舊，向前度桃花，劉郎能記，花復認郎否？——劉辰翁《摸魚兒》

11、庭院深深深幾許？楊柳堆煙，簾幕無重數。——歐陽修《蝶戀花》

12、怒髮衝冠，憑闌處、瀟瀟雨歇。——岳飛《滿江紅》

13、草色煙光殘照里，無言誰會憑闌意？——柳永《蝶戀花》

14、相顧無言，惟有淚千行。——蘇軾《江城子》

15、綠楊芳草長亭路，年少拋人容易去。——晏殊《木蘭花》

16、算好春長在，好花長見，原只是，人憔悴。——程垓《水龍吟》

17、惟有樓前流水，應念我、終日凝眸。凝眸處，從今又添，一段新愁。——李清照《鳳凰台上憶吹簫》

18、千古江山，英雄無覓，孫仲謀處。——辛棄疾《永遇樂》

19、春無蹤跡誰知？除非問取黃鸝。百囀無人能解，因風飛過薔薇。——黃庭堅《清平樂》

20、人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺，此事古難全。——蘇軾《水調歌頭》

21、山映斜陽天接水，芳草無情，更在斜陽外。——范仲淹《蘇幕遮》

22、人面不知何處，綠波依舊東流。——晏殊《清平樂》

23、馬上琵琶關塞黑。更長門、翠輦辭金闕。看燕燕，送歸妾。——辛棄疾《賀新郎》

24、楊柳岸，曉風殘月。——柳永《雨霖鈴》

25、只願君心似我心，定不負，相思意。——李之儀《卜運算元》

26、但願人長久，千里共蟬娟。——蘇軾《水調歌頭》

27、笑相遇，似覺瓊枝玉樹相倚，暖日明霞光爛。——周邦彥《拜星月慢》

28、莫道不消魂？簾卷西風，人比黃花瘦。——李清照《醉花陰》

29、高柳垂陰，老魚吹浪，留我花間住。田田多少，幾回沙際歸路。——姜夔《念奴嬌》

30、海闊山遙，未知何處是瀟湘？——柳永《玉蝴蝶》

31、漸行漸遠漸無書，水闊魚沉何處問？——歐陽修《木蘭花》

32、碧雲天，黃葉地，秋色連波，波上寒煙翠。——范仲淹《蘇幕遮》

33、舞榭歌台，風流總被、雨打風吹去。——辛棄疾《永遇樂》

34、燕子不知何世，向尋常、巷陌人家，相對如說興亡，斜陽里。——周邦彥《金陵懷古》

35、凝碧舊池頭，一聽管弦凄切，多少梨園聲在，總不堪華髮。——韓元吉《好事近》

36、湛湛長空黑，更那堪，斜風細雨，亂愁如織。——劉克莊《賀新郎》

37、琵琶弦上說相思，當時明月在，曾照彩雲歸。——晏幾道《臨江仙》

38、天涯舊恨，試看幾許消魂？長亭門外山重疊。不盡眼中青，是愁來時節。——張元千《石州慢》

39、長安，故人問我，道愁腸，殢酒只依然。目斷秋霄落雁，醉來時響空弦。——辛棄疾《木蘭花慢》

40、心似雙絲網，中有千千結。——張先《千秋歲》

41、簾卷西風，人比黃花瘦。——李清照《醉花陰》

42、今年花勝去年紅。可惜明年花更好，知與誰同？——歐陽修《浪淘沙》

43、不應有恨，何事長向別時圓？——蘇軾《水調歌頭》

44、梧桐更兼細雨，到黃昏、點點滴滴。者次第，怎一個、愁字了得。——李清照《聲聲慢》

45、漸寫到別來，此情深處，紅箋為無色。——晏幾道《思遠人》

46、寂寞憑高念遠，向南樓、一聲歸雁。——陳亮《水龍吟》

47、黛蛾長斂，任是春風吹不展，困倚危樓，過盡飛鴻字字愁。——秦觀《木蘭花》

48、念去去、千里煙波，暮靄沉沉楚天闊。——柳永《雨霖鈴》

49、青山遮不住，畢竟東流去。——辛棄疾《菩薩蠻》

50、明朝且做莫思量，如何過得今宵去？——周紫芝《踏莎行》

51、杜郎老矣，想舊事、花須能說。記少年、一夢揚州，二十四橋明月。——周密《瑤華》

52、我住長江頭，君住長江尾；日日思君不見君，共飲長江水。——李之儀《卜運算元》

53、但夢想、一枝瀟洒，黃昏斜照水。——周邦彥《花犯》

54、東風漸綠西湖岸，雁已還、人來南歸。——周密《高陽台》

55、乍暖還寒時候，最難將息。——李清照《聲聲慢》

56、一向年光有限身，等閑離別易消魂，酒筵歌席莫辭頻。——晏殊《浣溪沙》

57、十里楊州，三生杜牧，前事休說。——姜夔《琵琶仙》

58、閑愁最苦，休去倚危闌，斜陽正在，煙柳斷腸處。——辛棄疾《辛棄疾》

59、來時舊路，尚岩花、嬌黃半吐。到而今，惟有溪邊流水，見人如故。——袁去華《瑞鶴仙》

60、尋尋覓覓，冷冷清清，凄凄慘慘戚戚。——李清照《聲聲慢》

 (http://history.bayvoice.net/b5/wryq/2016/02/20/158648.htm%E5%8D%83%E5%B9%B4%E5%AE%8B%E8%A9%9E%EF%BC%8C%E6%9C%80%E7%BE%8E60%E5%8F%A5%EF%BC%81%EF%BC%88%E5%80%BC%E5%BE%97%E6%94%B6%E8%97%8F%EF%BC%89.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook)

韓國的鰻魚人工繁殖

Artificial Japanese Glass Eel (Anguilla japonica) Production in Korea 
(http://animalhealthmedia.com/artificial-japanese-glass-eel-anguilla-japonica-production-in-korea/)

Abstract:

Freshwater eels are very valuable fish species, principally in Asian and European countries. Over 97% of worldwide eel production is based on farming of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla and the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Eel farming is a capture-based aquaculture activity. It is based on the practice of collecting juvenile eels from the wild and ongrowing in captivity to marketable size using aquaculture techniques. Due to their complex life cycle, research efforts have not yet managed to produce glass eels on a commercial scale. After a series of efforts, Korea made a breakthrough by producing two Japanese glass eels in 2012. Several other phenomenal pieces of research were conducted to produce the artificial Japanese glass eel, as well as to develop the complete package for eel aquaculture in Korea. Introduction The family Anguillidae, commonly referred to as freshwater fish, is composed of at 16 species and three subspecies, all in the genus Anguilla (Tsukamoto, 2009). Anguilla species are distributed throughout tropical and temperate waters, expect for the Eastern Pacific and South Atlantic (Aoyama et al., 1999). The various life stages of all Anguilla species are harvested and traded on a global scale for farming and consumption. As catadromous fish, they migrate from rivers and inland bodies of water to the oceans to breed, and then the young return to freshwater. For all Anguilla species, the life cycle is essentially the same (Fig. 1).

 Leptocephalus: The oceanic pelagic larval eel, which migrates from the spawning area to the continental shelf. Narrow, deep-bodied, shaped like a willow leaf. Glass eel: Small, transparent juvenile eel formed by metamorphosis of leptocephalus. Metamorphisis occurs at sea, perhaps near the edge of the continental shelf. They are not fully pigmented juveniles. Marine and estuarine habitat. Elvers: Fully pigmented juvenile eel, with a total length under 30 cm and less than five years old. Predominantly freshwater habitat. Yellow eel: Eel residing in continental waters, with a size generally over 30 cm long and more than five years of age. This stage typically lasts several years. Predominantly freshwater habitat. Silver eel: A sexually maturing eel, migrating to the oceanic spawning area. They usually reach the mature stage between 10 and 20 years. Marine habitat, but metamorphosis commences in freshwater. Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, is a very important cultured species in East Asia due to its high market value, desirable taste and recent supply shortage (Ren et al., 2007). Five major producers of this species are China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. The eel aquaculture industry in these countries has been growing, e.g. in Korea its production increased from 2739 tons in 2000 to 6766 tons in 2009 (Son et al., 2011). Eel culture has depended on natural captured Japanese glass eels, and the highest amount of fishing reached 160 tons (15 tons in Korea) in East Asia in 2006. Recently, the amount of Japanese glass eel fishing has been gradually decreased and the value reached 15 tons (one ton in Korea) in East Asia, 2013. Environmental variation, overfishing, climatic changes, pollution and infections with the swim bladder parasite (Anguillicoloides crassus) and/or eel viruses have been implicated as causes for the current decline in the Japanese glass eel population (Tsukamoto, 2009).

The limited and inconsistent availability of wild broodstock Japanese eel, as well as early survival rate decreasing in culture of the tropical Japanese glass eel (Luo et al., 2013) and the protection or import regulation of Japanese glass eel resources (Crook et al., 2013) over the last decades, increased the requirement for artificial eel production in captivity. Artificial eel production has been studied since the 1960s, and Yamamoto and Yamauchi first succeeded in producing Japanese eel larvae in 1974 from eggs obtained from hormone-treated eels, and Yamauchi et al. (1976) succeeded in rearing pre-leptocephalus for two weeks. In 2002, the National Research Foundation of Korea (Korea Research Foundation) approved the national project on “NRF-2002- 005-F00002” through the Feeds and Foods Nutrition Research Center (FFNRC) as the priority research institute at Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea. This project was the first official Korean Government Support Project almost from 2002 to 2004. FFNRC successfully produced the artificially matured male and female broodstock Japanese eel and fertilised eggs in 2003. This research fund was terminated in 2004, and the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) continued this research in 2006 with fuund research from FFNRC, successfully hatching two Japanese glass eels in 2012. Artificial production technology of Japanese eels has improved markedly in Korea, and further studies are necessary to obtain high quality and mass production of Japanese eel eggs. Additionally, artificial reproduction of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (Palstra et al., 2005), the New Zealand longfin eel, Anguilla dieffenbachia and the shortfin eel, Anguilla australis (Lockman and Young, 2000) have been attempted with a number of research groups.

Research on Japanese eel reproduction is complicated, because broodstock eels stop feeding when silvering in nature. For example, Chow et al. (2010) found that Japanese eels caught in the spawning area had not been eating in the marine phase of the migration. Also in captivity, feeding is terminated after transfer to saltwater prior to induction of maturation. Moreover, it is also clear that the availability of an optimal diet is identified as a crucial factor for the sexual maturation and reproduction of the Japanese eel. For Japanese eels, all the qualitative and quantitative requirements for reproduction have to be met from their body reserves, highlighting the importance of pre-spawning nutrition.

Summary of Research and Development of Japanese Eels (A. japonica) in Korea Recent nutrition studies have contributed further to a better knowledge of the requirements of proteins, lipids, vitamins and additives for the maturation process in the Japanese eel. It was shown that the optimum dietary protein (44.3%), P/E ratio (24.1 mg protein/kJ), linolenic acid (LNA, 0.35~0.5%), linoleic acid (LA, 0.5~0.65%), vitamin E (21.2 mg/kg), vitamin C (41.1 to 43.9 mg/kg) in juvenile and (410.8 to 911.8 mg kg- 1) in broodstock, as well as additives such as quartz porphyry (0.7%), BAISM (0.5%) and propolis (0.25-0.5%) levels could be essential for maintenance of normal growth, physiological function and overall health. Still our knowledge on the reproduction of Japanese eels remains limited. However, our previous studies have shown that final maturation in silver female and male Japanese eels could be induced by weekly injections of salmon pituitary extract (SPE) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), respectively. Also, our results indicated that artificial maturation by hormone treatment was successful only during the spring to summer seasons in seawater with low temperatures (10ºC). These results will provide valuable information for elevation of the artificial maturation and reproduction coefficient in the Japanese eel.

Future Perspectives:
 1. Emphasis on nutrition of broodstock eels
 1.1. Cost-effective rearing process
 2. Domesticate broodstock in captivity
 3. Feed development for larvae
 4. New feed development for larvae
 5. Rearing larvae in captivity
 6. Selective breeding for better growth and survival
 7. Disease prevention (e.g. vaccine development)
 8. Conservation of eel resources in the wild

References • Aoyama J, Mochioka N, Otake T, Ishikawa S, Kawakami Y, Castle P, Nishida M and Tsukamoto K. 1999. Distribution and dispersal of anguillid leptocephali in the western Pacific Ocean revealed by molecular analysis. Marine Ecology 188, 193-200. • Chow S, Kurogi H, Katayama S, Ambe D, Okazaki M, Watanabe T, Ichikawa T, Kodama M, Aoyama J, Shinoda A, Watanabe S, Tsukamoto K, Miyazaki S, Kimura S, Yamada Y, Nomura K, Tanaka H, Kazeto Y, Hata K, Handa T, Tawa A and Mochioka N. 2010. Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica do not assimilate nutrition during the oceanic spawning migration: evidence from stable isotope analysis. Marine Ecology Progress Series 402, 233-238. • Crook V and Nakamura M. 2013. Assessing supply chain and market impacts of a CITES listing on Anguilla species. TRAFFIC Bulletin 25, 24-30. • Lockman PM and Young G. 2000. Induced spawning and early ontogeny of New Zealand freshwater eels (Anguilla dieffenbachia and Anguilla australis). New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 34, 135-145. • Luo M, Guan R, Li Z and Jin H. 2013. The effects of water temperature on the survival, feeding and growth of the juveniles of Anguilla marmorata and Anguilla bicolor pacifica. Aquaculture 400-401, 61-64. • Palstra AP, Cohen EGH, Miemantsverdriet PRW, van Ginneken VJT and van den Thillart GEEJM. 2005. Artificial maturation and reproduction of European silver eel: Development of oocytes during final maturation. Aquaculture 249, 533-547. • Ren T, Koshio S, Ishikawa M, Yokoyama S, Micheal FR, Uyan O and Tung HT. 2007. Influence of dietary vitamin C and bovine lactoferrin on blood chemistry and nonspecific immune responses of Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Aquaculture 267, 31-37. • Son MH, Kim KW, Kim KD and Kim SK. 2011. State of aquacul¬ture management for optimal rearing of eel, Anguilla japonica. Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 44, 359-365. • Tsukamoto K, Aoyama J and Miller MJ. 2009. Present status of the Japanese eel: resources and recent research. American Fisheries Society Symposium 58, 21-35.

恭喜發財!!!

非法鰻魚：黑市繼續玷污歐洲鰻魚漁業

Illegal eel: black market continues to taint Europe's eel fishery

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/world-on-a-plate/2016/feb/09/illegal-eel-black-market-continues-to-taint-europes-eel-fishery

In the first post of a short series, I take a look at the European eel fishery, which is beset by illegal trade as European eel becomes a prized commodity in Asia

This year the banks of France’s great rivers have become the stage for an intensifying conflict, cued by the arrival of millions of baby European eels migrating from the North Atlantic into Europe’s rivers. Alongside the legitimate eel fishing season, which runs from November to March each year, a thriving black market usurps young eels from European waters, transporting tonnes of them, live, to Asia annually. This year the issue has reached a head, as those illegal forces clash with conservationists who are trying to draw attention to the eels’ fate – especially along the waterways of France.

The European eel species (Anguilla anguilla) is a centuries-old staple in European cuisine, but in the last 45 years, it’s undergone estimated declines of 90-95% that make it a critically endangered species today. “We’re actually dealing with a species on the very edge of survival,” says Andrew Kerr, chairman of theSustainable Eel Group (SEG), an organisation working to aid the recovery of European eel across its habitat.

Before 2009, countries could freely trade eel caught in Europe with international markets. But over concerns about the huge decline, EU-wide restrictions were imposed in 2010, limiting the trade to within the European Union only. Now, it’s illegal to sell European-caught eel to markets outside the EU.

Consumption within the region continues: according to estimates from the Sustainable Eel Group, European countries collectively catch 15 to 17 tonnes of young ‘glass eels’ each year as they enter European rivers that are then placed in aquaculture farms to grow out for later sale. And yet that legal appetite is rapidly being surpassed by the illicit one, which ironically sees more of these glass eels transported abroad than are consumed in Europe. “We know that in 2014 and 2015, some 20 tonnes was recorded as arriving in the farms of Asia,” says Kerr, who has been meeting with French authorities and fishermen since the fishing season began to discuss threats facing the eel.

France and Spain are the most active players in the fishery. France has the largest fishery, taking the lion’s share of incoming European eel. This fact puts it at the heart of discussions about the illegal trade. But this year especially, the country faces new scrutiny, as talks between fishermen, scientists, and conservationists in the region intensify over the escalating black market, amid increasing calls for sustainability. In addition, a report issued late last year by the Working Group on Eel, a scientific assessment body for the species, ominously highlights five major French rivers as the worst in Europe for eel mortality. Illegal trade isn’t the only problem for these fish: it’s compounded by widespread habitat destruction across their range, and hydropower plants that barricade waterways and kill hundreds of thousands of eels annually with their blades, as the fish try to navigate Europe’s rivers. Meanwhile, on top of all this the illegal trade continues.

Estimates from the East Asian eel industry put the black market eel price at between $1,200 (£800) and $1,500 per kilo once it reaches Asia.* Since they’re bought and sold at the glass eel stage, when they’re arriving in Europe as babies migrating from across the seas, one kilo can contain around 3,000 individual fish, says Kerr. These eel are flown mainly to China, where they seem to have become the unfortunate substitutes for Japonica, a preferred Japanese eel species that’s now in decline, explains Vicki Crook, trade analyst and report author with Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network. There, they’re often reared in farms and sold years later as adults – so obtaining initial shipments of baby eels, however risky, is seen as a highly profitable investment. Since 2010 when international trade was outlawed, the black market has been unrelenting in its quest for eel. “The information we have suggests it’s ongoing and that it’s a very pricey commodity,” says Crook.

This year, there are clues that the illegal activity continues. “So far in this season some 30 tonnes has already been caught. SEG suspects at least half has gone to Asia. The authorities have already intercepted many shipments in France, Spain and on arrival in Hong Kong,” says Kerr. “I would guess for every one fish that’s been taken, one fish has gone to Asia.”

This process undercuts eel conservation, as well. Of the legal eel catch, a certain proportion of live glass eels is supposed to be set aside each year for purchase by European countries who, instead of consuming them, put the fish towards the restocking of their eel-depleted rivers. But conservation groups suggest the illegal trade thwarts those efforts by driving up the price of the fish, making it more costly to restock, and making more eel available to Asia instead. “It’s like trying to fill the bath and someone pulled the plug out,” says Kerr.

France is seen as the kingpin in this trade not just because it’s where the bulk of the eel come from, but also because of its fishing quota system. Annually the country sets itself a catch quota, which it claims is based on scientific research: this year it’s 57.5 tonnes. That’s roughly double the overall EU allowance for eel consumption and restocking, which together are estimated to reach about 30 tonnes annually. “I think it’s ridiculous to set a quota for your country on its own that’s twice the legal demand,” says Kerr. He’s concerned that the overly generous allowance this year may be driving the trade, encouraging poachers, and drawing in otherwise law-abiding fishermen who may see a lucrative opportunity. “The fishermen need to earn a living, but we’ve got to get the stock to recover,” says Kerr. “You can’t just rob nature regardless when it’s critically endangered.”

On the other hand, French authorities say fishermen are the victims, not the perpetrators, of this illegal activity. “There are some rivers where professional fishermen can’t go because of the poachers,” says Nicolas Michelet, an official from the French National Committees for Marine Fisheries and Inland Professional Fishers, two organisations that represent fishermen’s interests. Eel fishers have suffered economically too: since 2006, their numbers have more than halved, says Michelet. Furthermore, the country’s continued efforts to protect the fishery go unrecognised, he claims. According to Michelet, France upholds strict fishing regulations, has dedicated restocking efforts, and has orchestrated the release of half a million adult silver eels back into the sea to breed. “The French glass eel fishery is strictly regulated and has made major efforts over the last 10 years to reduce its fishing pressure.”

Whether fishermen or other forces are to blame for the continuing trade remains an issue of keen debate. But beyond this political stalemate, the illegal activity continues at a surprising scale. It’s believed to involve at least five European countries that variously act as transit or departure points for baby eels, sending them off on their longest and most unnatural journey.

In the next post, I’ll look at how the illegal trade unfolds on the ground, and how authorities are trying to curtail it. In the background, a slow move to sustainability is continuing along the riverbanks of France – a sign of potential change.

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Why the eel’s fascinating lifecycle makes it sensitive to illegal trade

Part of the reason the European eel is so affected by overfishing is its enigmatic lifecycle, which begins thousands of miles away in the middle of the North Atlantic. Eels start out as tiny eggs deposited in the warm Sargasso Sea, hatching en route to Europe as currents carry them there. That journey can take up to three years before they reach Europe’s broad landmass transformed into small, transparent slivers known as ‘glass eels’, and then astoundingly adapt to freshwater as they make their way up Europe’s waterways.

Eels that escape fishermen’s nets face a gauntlet of other threats further upstream, including denuded habitats stripped of wetlands and waterways, and the fatal blades of hydropower plants. But the lucky ones mature, spending years –even decades – upstream, until their scales take on a silvery sheen. That’s a cue for sexual maturity: under the veil of a moonless night, these adult eels will suddenly retreat en masse, determinedly writhing all the way back to the Sargasso Sea. There, they’ll spawn and trigger the entire, epic cycle again.

Undermining the population with illegal fishing at the crucial glass eel stage means there will be fewer eels available to breed upon return to the Sargasso Sea, which will affect the whole cycle in due course.

* This estimate comes from an article published in July 2015 in Nihon Yoshoku Shimbun, a Japanese aquaculture industry newspaper only available in printed form.