Eel populations are falling, and new protections were defeated. Japan and the US opposed them

Freshwater eels, prized in global sushi markets, face a critical moment as their populations continue to plummet worldwide. Some species have declined by more than 90% since the 1980s, yet a recent international effort to protect these ancient creatures through trade restrictions was voted down at a key wildlife summit.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) met in Uzbekistan this week to consider new protections for several eel species, including the commercially valuable American and Japanese varieties. Despite support from conservation groups, member nations rejected the proposal on Thursday.

“This measure is vital to strengthen trade monitoring, aid fisheries management, and ensure the species’ long-term survival,” said Susan Lieberman, vice president of international policy for Wildlife Conservation Society, who had advocated for the restrictions.

Freshwater eels of the anguilla genus have existed since dinosaur times, yet scientists understand less about them than those extinct reptiles. These remarkable creatures spend most of their lives in rivers and streams but make a mysterious migration to the ocean to spawn, laying millions of eggs before dying.

Unlike the moray eels popular in aquariums or South America’s electric eels, anguilla eels are highly sought after for food, especially in Asian markets. Baby eels, called elvers, are particularly valuable as they serve as seed stock for Asian aquaculture operations that raise them to maturity primarily for the sushi industry.

In Japan, where freshwater eel (known as unagi) has been consumed for thousands of years, these fish hold both culinary and cultural significance. The popularity of eel in sushi has created immense pressure on wild populations already struggling against multiple threats.

Scientists attribute the dramatic decline to a perfect storm of challenges: river dams blocking migration routes, deaths in hydroelectric turbines, pollution, habitat destruction, climate change impacts, poaching, and commercial overfishing. This combination has pushed some species toward potential extinction.

The United States, Japan, and China—all countries with significant economic interests in the eel trade—opposed the new restrictions. Mitchell Feigenbaum, one of North America’s largest eel dealers, criticized the conservation effort as the work of “an international body dominated by volunteer scientists and unelected bureaucrats.”

Maine stands as the only U.S. state with a significant commercial fishery for baby eels, operating under strict regulations. The value of Maine’s elvers has skyrocketed as global populations have crashed, fetching more than $1,200 per pound at docks in 2024, down from over $2,000 per pound the previous year.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates American eel fisheries, opposed the CITES listing. “We don’t feel that the proposal provides enough information on how the black market would be curbed,” said Toni Kerns, the commission’s fisheries policy director. “We are very concerned about how it would potentially restrict trade in the United States.”

Had the protections passed, exporters would have needed permits to ship eels internationally. These permits would have required scientific authorities to certify that exports wouldn’t harm species survival and that the eels weren’t illegally harvested—a significant concern given widespread poaching and mislabeling of rare species as more common varieties.

A coalition of industry groups from China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also submitted a request to reject the protections, arguing that CITES’ assertion about international trade causing population declines was “not supported by sufficient evidence.”

Conservation advocates emphasize that the new rules wouldn’t have banned eel fishing but rather helped ensure sustainability through better monitoring and trade controls. “It’s not about banning it or stopping fishing practices,” said Nastya Timoshyna, Europe office director for TRAFFIC, an anti-wildlife trafficking organization. “It’s about industry being responsible, and there is massive power in industry.”

Timoshyna noted that eels serve as important indicator species that help scientists understand ecosystem health. Their decline signals broader environmental problems that extend beyond the fish themselves.

For now, eel conservation will continue to rely on national and regional protections rather than a coordinated international approach, even as populations of these ancient, mysterious creatures continue their alarming decline.