The Sustainable Eel Group (SEG) would like to congratulate SEPRONA for breaking up a major trafficking gang in Spain the reports are of a highly organised criminal network trafficking critically endangered European eel from Asturias to China, as detailed today by El País. The operation involved ‘mules’ transporting live eels using double-bottomed suitcases and refrigerated containers, an illegal trade that circumvents international regulations. The traffickers exploited weak points in customs, evading authorities to smuggle the high-value cargo across international borders.

This network, which has been operating for several years, was dismantled by Spanish authorities under the 2018 ELVER Operation. Thirteen individuals involved have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one year and six months to one year and nine months. Those convicted also face significant fines, with each being penalised €641,280. Despite these actions, the relatively modest sentences highlight the challenges in addressing the scale of the crime and the ongoing threat to European eel populations.Delete please

Eel trafficking has become one of the most lucrative wildlife crimes due to the high demand in Asia, where European eel is considered a delicacy, and is grown on from wild stock in sizeable aquaculture operations. The illegal capture of juvenile eels exacerbates the decline of a species already red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is under pressure from habitat loss, barrier construction, and chemical pollution.

SEG, which has long advocated for the protection of the European eel, views this incident as a severe threat to its ongoing conservation efforts. However, it remains committed to ensuring the species’ survival through responsible management and conservation initiatives. By encouraging collaboration with legitimate fisheries, implementing traceability systems, and pushing for stricter enforcement of EU regulations, SEG aims to make the eel trade more transparent and sustainable. Their Standard is helping to reduce the grey area in the trade and promote responsible and legal fishing. and to remove the financial incentives for unethical trade. Delete please

This case underscores the need for greater collaboration between national governments, environmental agencies, and the fishing industry to curb illegal activity. It is imperative that the organisation and its partners continue to push for tighter trade regulations and enhanced enforcement measures across Europe and Globally to protect the species, and the fishing, processing, and logistics industries it legitimately supports. In regularly revising and updating its Standard, SEG gives consumers the confidence to buy responsible and traceable eel products, whilst simultaneously contributing to the long-term conservation efforts. The HIFI Report investigating eel trafficking was published earlier in September and showed the SEG Standard positive Impact of reducing eel trafficking by some 300 million fish a year.

SEG is a non-profit organisation focused on conserving the critically endangered European eel through sustainable management practices. El País is one of Spain’s most widely read newspapers, known for its in-depth reporting on environmental issues, politics, and global affairs. The full article detailing the eel trafficking network can be read here.