This month, the environmental advocate Richard Fleming launched a petition on Change.org to end the export of live glass eels and elvers from the UK to Russia. Today, that petition approaches 40,000 signatures, highlighting growing public concern around the controversial practice of exporting endangered European eel to a region without a cooperative cross-border Eel Management Plan and without an open and trusted system of tracking and traceability. The Sustainable Eel Group would like to express its support for the petition, which aligns with its own stance on the UK eel trade, and to call upon British citizens to make their voices heard.
SEG’s Position on the Trade to Russia
As an advocate for the EU’s Eel Regulation, the Sustainable Eel Group takes the view that trade with non-aligned countries poses serious threats to the species, and to the small legitimate industry that depends on a sustainable stock. It is SEG’s opinion that exports to countries without sufficient monitoring safeguards threatens to compromise the traceability of the stock and therefore render ineffectual initiatives designed to protect its future. With Russia in particular there are certain risks associated with live eel entering the illicit trade networks supplying eel farms in East Asia.
Read SEG’s Position Statements on Trade
SEG’s Communications with DEFRA
The actions of the UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) raise questions about regulatory oversight. Whilst Brexit effectively stopped the trade between the UK and the EU, the Russian Government seems an unsuitable candidate for overseas trade as EU based assurance and professional services cannot be applied there. SEG and its partners in science, conservation, and the commercial sector have consistently highlighted that the export permits currently issued do not adequately ensure the eels are used only for legal purposes. And SEG has issued letters clearly stating that the limited transparency in Kaliningrad increases the risk of glass eel exports entering unregulated markets.
Read SEG’s Letter to the Ministers
SEG’s Position on Eel Fishing
One argument often made in favour of continuing the trade with Russia is that this trade is a conservation measure that will enable large numbers of silver eel to escape and return to the Sargasso Sea to breed. This is a trade to support an ambitious and rapidly expanding commercial trade. Eel is greatly enjoyed by the leaders of both Russia and Belarus. As such, this conservation-led notion is misleading and ultimately undermines the legitimacy of the trade. The voluntary SEG Standard, operated by around 80% of the sector, is critical for assuring best practice at all stages of the supply chain. Further, the associated plan for the eel fishery states that the number of eels caught will exceed the European Union target of 60% (40% protection and survival).
Read about the SEG Standard
Read Richard Fleming’s The End of Elvering
Read Richard Fleming’s Looking a bit like a penis
Read management plan for Vistula Lagoon
The Petition and Its Effects
Recent coverage in outlets such as The Guardian and The Times has amplified concerns surrounding DEFRA’s actions, bringing the risks of exporting to Russia to the front and centre of political discourse. This media attention has further fuelled public support for the petition, and many are calling on DEFRA to reassess its role in issuing these permits in light of the UK’s conservation commitments under agreements like CITES. The Sustainable Eel Group takes communications very seriously and has taken this opportunity to share it across its communications channels and outreach events.
Read SEG’s Statement in The Guardian
Read SEG’s Statement in The Times
Read SEG’s Statement in The Independent
SEG’s Request for Policy Reform
The Sustainable Eel Group is urging the UK Government to suspend future export permits for eels to Russia, conduct an inquiry into existing licensing policies, and implement reforms that will align DEFRA’s decisions with the UK’s commitment to endangered species conservation. SEG, As the principal voice on eel in Europe, is committed to collaborating with DEFRA, the Environment Agency, and the UK Government to develop sustainable, transparent practices that consider the future of the eel population and the ambition of a more sustainable eel sector. This January, the SEG Board Notice, sent to all SEG Certificate holders or those applying for SEG Certification, made a positive first step by confirming that eels sent to Russia and Belarus are not SEG Certified.
Read the SEG Board Notice
SEG’s Call to Action
With the prospect of reaching 100,000 signatures now very much on the agenda, public support is essential to bring the issue of the UK’s eel trade with Russia to parliamentary debate. By signing and sharing the petition, you can help drive legislative action to protect this critically endangered species and ensure a responsible approach to conservation moving forward.