European eel illegal trafficking

The illegal trafficking of the critically endangered European eel has become a highly lucrative industry, with estimated annual revenues reaching between one billion and three billion US dollars. Driven by high demand in Asian markets such as China, South Korea, and Japan, glass eels—the larval stage of the species—can fetch prices as high as 9,000 per kilogram.

Despite a European Union export ban implemented in 2010, organized crime groups have established complex smuggling routes. These routes have shifted from central hubs like Madrid toward North African nations, including Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal. Law enforcement efforts, such as Europol’s ‘Operation Lake’, have resulted in significant seizures and arrests.

In response to the species' 95 percent population decline since the 1980s, regional fishing bans have been implemented in areas like the Basque Country. While environmentalists and biologists advocate for these protections and the removal of migratory barriers like hydroelectric dams, some local fishermen argue that regulations unfairly penalize law-abiding citizens while criminal networks continue to profit.