Dossier

European eel

The stock of European eel is only at about 10 percent of what it was about fifty years ago. In this dossier you can find news, backgrounds and results of our research on eels and eel fishing in the Netherlands. Our research focuses on among others the propagation of glass eel, residues of dioxin in eel, monitoring eel by tracking with tags and the possibilities for eel protection.

Rules and regulation

• EC Council regulation on eel
• Most recent advise ICES (November 2023)

European eels spend the first two years of their life being swept 5,000 km by the Gulfstream, until they reach our coastal waters in the form of transparent ‘glass eels’ measuring seven centimetres. They are prevented from entering our waterways by locks, but glass eels can wash through openings in the lock gates by the current.

News about European eel

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  First observation ever of a spontaneously matured female European eel

  01 November 2019 - category_news - For the first time in history, scientists have observed a spontaneously matured female European eel. She was caught in 2002 and has since lived in the Finnish aquarium house Maretarium in Kotka. Researchers of Wageningen University & Research have, together with colleagues of the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Maretarium, studied the eel to gain knowledge on the natural process of sexual maturation. The gained insights will contribute to the closing of the production cycle of eels in aquaculture. The information is also very important for conservation of the natural population.

Research on European eel

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  DIASPARA: DIAdromous Species: moving towards new PARadigms to achieve holistic scientific Advice

  03 June 2024 - Project - This project aims to improve scientific knowledge on the European eel and Atlantic/Baltic salmon to strengthen the science-basis of management decisions under the Common Fisheries Policy.
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  Sex and Age in eel using DNA methylation

  01 January 2024 - Project - The main eel-WOT task is to provide the EU with an estimation of Silver eels reaching the Sea. EU-DG MARE uses this estimation for validating ‘how well’ each national Eel management plan (‘aalbeheerplan’) is performing in reducing eel mortality. To estimate silver eel escapement a sex specific age based model is used which translates the yellow eel abundance into numbers of migrating silver eel.

Publications on European eel