Economic impact of eel trade ban – general trends. Study in support to the STECF

The European eel (Anguilla Anguilla L.) was included in Appendix II to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Annex B to Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 in March 2009. This was largely due to the threat posed to the conservation of the species by the export of glass eels from the EU to Asia for farming purposes. The main commodities which were exported before the ban were glass eels. In December 2010, the EU "Scientific Review Group" considered that, due to the critical conservation status of the stock, no export from or import into the EU of eels and derived products should be authorised. This "trade ban" has been in place for nearly four years now and the Commission seeks to get an assessment of the consequences of this measure on the economics and trade in European eels in the EU. Consequently, the Commission requested the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) to provide for an analysis. JRC conducted the present analyses in support to the STECF.JRC.G.3-Maritime affair