The precautionary approach and the management of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) – critical remarks

• Main Author: Wysujack, Klaus
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Fisheries; stock management; environment variation; recruitment; fishing pressure; Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1834/20720; https://doi.org/10.3220/Infn54_26-33_2007

Recruitment and commercial catches of European eel have been in decline since the late 1970s. So far, the reasons are not well understood. A range of potential natural and anthropogenic reasons have been discussed, but the relative importance of the factors is unknown. As a consequence of the decline in recruitment an urgent need for protective management measures was concluded. The main approach is to restrict the fishery on eel, in particular with reference to the precautionary approach. However, in view of the lack of knowledge on the factors responsible for the recruitment decline and by considering that many yellow and silver eel stocks in freshwaters depend on restocking by the fishery, such simplified conclusions are critically discussed. A concept for the sustainable management of eel has to include 1) research on the factors determining the population dynamics, in particular during the oceanic stages, 2) a stronger consideration of socio-economic aspects, and 3) intensified research on artificial reproduction and rearing of eel. Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries began publishing the Informationen aus der Fischereiforschung - Information on Fishery Research in 2010.