a fish that risks disappearing before two years

Many chefs have removed dishes with eel from their menus. This fish is increasingly rare, and could even disappear completely if nothing is done. Thierry Marx is worried about this.

Auguste Escoffier prepared it as an old-fashioned roulade, cooked in a base of mirepoix with Chambertin wine. In matelote, it is simmered as a stew, in white or red wine and bound cooking juices. Eel has always belonged to the tradition of great French cuisine, even if it is not a fish that is always very popular with consumers.

If we have always been eating eel, we must stop now, because the species is threatened with pure extinction. “Our reserves are no longer there, and we are reaching the limitexplains starred chef Thierry Marx. The eel does not reproduce in captivity, so if we don’t let the ecosystem rebuild, there won’t be any left for two years.”

Europe takes no action

However, Europe, contacted by nature defense associations who are calling for a ban on eel fishing, refuses to take drastic measures. “It’s all the reluctance that we don’t understandlaments Thierry Marx. Europe has big words about environmental impact and the defense of nature, but it does not do what is necessary. We were able to save the bluefin tuna, but the cod has disappeared in the North Sea.”

To sound the alarm, several great starred chefs have decided to no longer cook eels and are making it known, as reported, for example, by our colleagues from France Bleu.