AGRIFISH agreement: EU member states ignore facts and science - active fishing for critically endangered eel is not banned

CCB • December 13, 2022

With no support in facts or science [1], the EU fisheries ministers have decided to continue chasing the critically endangered eel. The EU Member States actively opposed to sensible proposals to further the survival of European eel and the same Member States must now go to the Montreal COP15 and declare that “we should create a shared future for all life on earth – except for eel”.

Today the Fisheries Council decided [2] to continue targeting the critically endangered eel. The EU Commission proposed a consecutive six-month ban of fishing but this was aggressively opposed by countries led by France, Sweden, Denmark and Spain. The Commissioner called out the Member States as being dishonest in their approach, considering that they have during the past year written and spoken about further measures to protect the eel multiple times. Now, when a proposal to actually safeguard migration of adult eels as well as recently born eels was on the table, they shoot it down.


The original proposal was watered down to be a three plus three-month ban but with options for derogation and opening up the chance for Member States to place the closure period when it has little or no impact.  The Member States acted with no support in science and instead, against facts and figures presented over 20 years, pushed forward another massive loophole to continue active fishing on this critically endangered species.

 

“It is as if they intentionally wants to kill off the last eels by both allowing fishing to continue and at the same time not doing anything to improve eel habitats and migration routes. Most member states cannot even close their own internal waters for recreational fishing, a fishing for fun on an endangered species, even though anglers support such a ban!” says Nils Höglund, CCB Fisheries Policy Officer. He continues: “It is now difficult to take these countries statements and words seriously in anything related to biodiversity protection. We must applaud the Commission for trying and for pressuring the Member States, knowing that even the proposal for a 6-month ban was not enough but at least something.”


FURTHER INFORMATION:


[1]
ICES Advice on European eel (3 November 2022).


[2] The full outcome of the Agrifish council is available here:

EU fisheries at a crossroads: NGOs warn against reform as Baltic collapse exposes failure to enforce existing rules

By CCB • April 30, 2026
Failure to implement EU fisheries law, not gaps in the policy itself, has pushed the Baltic Sea to the brink. Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) urges immediate action to rebuild Baltic fish populations and restore ecosystems.

Tampering with EU Fisheries Policy would ‘open Pandora’s Box’, NGOs warn

By CCB • March 30, 2026
Brussels, 30 March 2026 - Today, Fisheries Ministers from EU Member States meet with the European Commission for the AGRIFISH Council. On this occasion, Oceana, BLOOM, ClientEarth, Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Seas At Risk and WWF EU, handed a symbolic ''Pandora’s Box'' to the EU Commissioner Costas Kadis, sending a clear message as the European Commission prepares its 2026 evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The box represents the risks of revising EU’s main fishery policy framework: once opened, competing demands from Member States, industry, small-scale fishers, and coastal communities could quickly spiral into division, regulatory delays and uncertainties. This would put at risk the hard-won progress made in restoring Europe’s fish populations and improving the profitability of the fishing sector. NGOs urge decision makers to build on the progress made to date and to prioritise the full and timely implementation of the existing rules. Reopening the CFP and its related provisions would undermine ocean health and the long-term future of Europe’s fishing communities. '' Europe's fisheries policy is facing a credibility test. The law is already there. The tools to rebuild our seas already exist. What's missing is the political will to deliver. Overfishing should have ended by 2020 at the latest. Reopening the CFP would signal that missed deadlines carry no consequences, erode trust, revert the progress made, and put the future of our fisheries and coastal communities at stake ’’, said the NGO coalition. *** Oceana: Vera Coelho, Executive Director and Vice President in Europe BLOOM: Claire Nouvian, Founder and General Director ClientEarth: John Condon, Lead of Marine Ecosystems Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB): Ida Carlén, Co-Chair Environmental Justice Foundation: Steve Trent, CEO/Founder Seas At Risk: Dr Monica Verbeek, Executive Director WWF EU: Ester Asin, Director