The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), an established conservation NGO based in New York, has expressed strong disapproval over the recent decision made by delegates at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The decision followed a committee vote that rejected a proposal to list all anguillid eels, including the American eel, on Appendix II of the CITES framework.

Proposal 35, presented by the European Union and Panama, was turned down during the CITES meeting held on November 27 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, as reported by Undercurrent News.

WCS’s Vice President of International Policy, Susan Lieberman, expressed her organization’s profound disappointment with the outcome. “A CITES Appendix II listing would not have banned trade, but it would have ensured that any international trade in eels is legal, sustainable, and traceable,” she stated. Lieberman emphasized that this would provide critical safeguards for species that have seen their populations fall to historic lows. She pointed to scientific evidence showing that the American eel meets the criteria for such a listing but mentioned that “strong lobbying interests” were opposing the proposal.

The rejection of this proposal leaves the American eel “without the international oversight urgently needed to support recovery and prevent further decline,” Lieberman added. Currently, the American eel is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Its populations have dramatically decreased across their historical range, from Maine to Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

WCS highlighted ongoing research in New York’s Bronx River, which has been underway since 2012. The findings underscore the necessity for habitat restoration and improvements in fish-passaging to support the American eel’s recovery. Additionally, as stocks of Japanese and European eels have dwindled, the global demand for American glass eels has skyrocketed, with prices exceeding $2,300 per pound. This surge has led to illegal and unregulated trade practices within this market.

In light of the challenges facing anguillid species, Lieberman urged governments to prioritize science-based cooperation. She noted that the fate of these eels reflects larger pressures facing river and coastal ecosystems worldwide.

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