The Council of State temporarily suspends the fishing dates for yellow eels and glass eels

A problem of European law. The Council of State issued two decisions on Friday April 7, acknowledging the suspension “temporary” yellow eel fishing dates, as well as glass eels “in certain areas”. The highest administrative court had was urgently seized by two environmental NGOs which demanded the suspension of the calendars fixing until 2024 the periods of opening and closing of the eel fishery.

The urgent applications judge of the Council of State “notes that the authorization calendars for glass eel fishing and yellow eel fishing in certain eel management units (UGA) do not comply with the periods imposed or the calendar ranges set by the regulation European”.

The glass eel, an endangered species

Consequently, yellow eel fishing “is suspended immediately”because of “the urgency attached to the conservation of eel in the UGAs concerned by the lack of knowledge of the European regulation”, all located in the Atlantic or the English Channel. In another ordinance, the Council of State extends the ban to all yellow eel fishing areas.

Concerning the glass eel, the fry of the eel, a species threatened with extinction, its fishing quotas for planned consumption “for the current campaign, between November 1, 2022 and May 25, 2023, are sold out” and she “can therefore no longer be fished today for consumption”declares the Council of State. On the other hand, glass eel fishing intended for “repopulation”via the transfer to favorable habitats, is maintained until May 25, as initially planned.