Eel trade is pushing another species to the brink

The eel trade is driven by high demand and a limited supply. This combination makes eel trading highly profitable, but also controversial due to concerns about sustainability, illegal trafficking, and the impact on endangered species.

Despite strict regulations on European eel exports, illegal trafficking persists. Juvenile eels are smuggled out of the EU to Asia, where they are farmed and sold as food.

Recent research has focused on the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), which is a critically endangered species. Although its trade outside of the EU is highly restricted, large numbers of juvenile eels continue to reach Asian markets.

However, new findings suggest a shift in the global eel trade, with another species increasingly appearing in the market.

Targeting the American eel

Researchers at Yale-NUS College conducted a study to investigate the presence of endangered eel species in Singapore’s markets. The team purchased 327 eel products from 86 retailers, including supermarkets, restaurants, and wholesalers.

DNA barcoding revealed an unexpected result. While a few samples contained European eels, 70% of the tested products were identified as Anguilla rostrata, commonly known as the American eel.

Unlike its European counterpart, the American eel is not critically endangered. However, it is still classified as an endangered species and faces significant threats from overfishing and habitat loss.

The study’s findings suggest that traders may be shifting focus from European eels to American eels due to increasing enforcement of EU export restrictions.

The need for urgent action

These findings raise concerns about the future of the American eel population. Without stronger regulations, it could face the same fate as the European eel.

The research team has called for greater enforcement and monitoring of the American eel trade to prevent further population declines.

The study was conducted as part of Yale-NUS alumnus Joshua Choo’s Environmental Studies capstone project, under the supervision of Professor Benjamin Wainwright.

“It was sad to connect Singaporean unagi with the history of anguillid eel exploitation – where a crash in one anguillid’s stock repeatedly leads to another’s overexploitation and crash,” said Choo.

“It was, however, heartening to see so many researchers and Indigenous groups invested in anguillid recovery in Liverpool – from Japan to Aotearoa to the EU and UK.”

“There’s room for Southeast Asian perspectives in eel science – it’s important to protect tropical anguillids from the endangerment plaguing their temperate cousins, and to explore conservation solutions for our food that can bypass profit-driven overexploitation.”

Mislabeling and wildlife crime

The study highlights the widespread mislabeling of eel products, often sold as generic “eel” or “unagi,” which obscures their true species identity. This deceptive practice not only threatens biodiversity but also poses potential risks to human health and fuels illegal wildlife trade.

“The trade in eels is described as the greatest wildlife crime on Earth; it supports vast criminal networks that illegally traffic many hundreds of millions of glass eels (juvenile eels) to Asia each year,” said Professor Wainwright.

“What we show with this work is a likely shift in trade; this shift could be the consequence of EU enforced rules and regulations making it harder to smuggle the European eel to Asia, consequently suppliers have now shifted their focus to the less regulated American eel.”

“If the American eel is to avoid a similar fate to that suffered by the European eels, it will be important to closely monitor the American eel trade and introduce rules and regulations designed to prevent overexploitation.”

Eel trade and wildlife conservation

The study’s findings highlight the need for proactive conservation measures. Stricter monitoring, better labelling practices, and increased awareness among consumers can help curb the illegal eel trade.

Consumers, researchers, and policymakers will need to work together to ensure that the global eel trade does not continue at the expense of biodiversity.

If no action is taken, the American eel could become the next critically endangered species, and follow the same tragic path as the European eel.

Choo presented the research at the 2024 International Eel Science Symposium in Liverpool, UK.

The full study was published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice.

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