WWF Sweden, SSNC and CCB call upon Swedish government to stop fishing for eels

CCB • November 28, 2018

WWF Sweden, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and Coalition Clean Baltic urges the Swedish government to ban eel fishing in the EU.

The European eel is a critically endangered species with a dramatic stock size decline the past 30 years. As stated in ICES advice on 7th November 2018, “ the status of eel remains critical ” and for this reason “ all anthropogenic impacts (e.g. caused by recreational and commercial fishing on all stages, hydropower, pumping stations, and pollution) that decrease production and escapement of silver eels should be reduced to – or kept as close to – zero as possible in 2019. ”

In light of ICES advice, eNGOs urge to a total ban for all fishing of eels in all waters – but welcome the first step regarding fishing of eels over twelve centimetres, decided by the EU Fisheries Ministers last year, which will apply for three consecutive months between 1 September 2018 – 31 January 2019.

We therefore ask that Sweden take lead and push for a phasing out of the eel fishery at coming December meeting of AGRIFISH across the entire EU, on all sizes of eel and that recreational fishing is stopped.

The full letter in Swedish is available  here.

From a destroyed greenhouse to a growing public garden: how donations found new life in Lviv

By CCB • December 18, 2025
In 2022, amid the devastation caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a small but meaningful crowdfunding initiative - #ASeedForReblooming - was launched to support landscape architect Nina Radchenko . Today, that initiative has evolved into a powerful contribution to urban sustainability and community resilience in Lviv.

Too many concessions in agreed eel fishing closures makes measure ineffective

By CCB • December 15, 2025
The EU Fisheries Council have agreed to a roll-over of current eel fishing closures in EU waters to protect the 2026/2027 eel migrations. Regrettably the well-intentioned provision now contains so many derogations that the measure is not effective. The ban on recreational eel fishing in EU waters remain. In the Mediterranean region, measures apply in all waters, including freshwater, in line with the GFCM Recommendation [1] on eel.