A joint NGO proposal to EU Ministers regarding European eel

CCB • December 7, 2018

On December 17th and 18th 2018 the EU Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) will decide on fishing opportunities for 2019 and will address measures for critically endangered European eel.

ICES has yet again repeated their advice that: “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” [ ICES Advice 7th November 2018 ].

We call upon – together with The Fisheries Secretariat, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Our Fish, Seas at Risk and WWF – the EU Commission and Member States to act accordingly in light of this advice, the same advice ICES has given for over 15 years.

Read the full letter 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.