In summer 2018, all EU-members will report to the EU-Commission on the status of their eel stocks, and the effect of their national Eel Management Plans. In this context, the Swedish Agricultural University has recently published their assessment of the eel stock in Sweden, available here: Aqua reports 2018:16

In this report, the impacts on the eel stock in Sweden are assessed – of fishing, restocking and of the mortality related to hydropower generation. The assessment is broken down on a geographical basis, with different impacts dominating in different areas (west coast, inland waters, Baltic Sea coasts). On the west coast, the fishery was banned in 2012, and the formerly exploited part of the stock now shows a relative recovery; but in absolute terms,  the decline of the stock continues – in line with the general trend of the stock across its distribution area.  In inland waters, stock biomass is below the minimum target, anthropogenic impacts exceed the minimum limit that would allow recovery, those impacts are currently increasing, and without further protective actions, will increase even further. On the Baltic coast, the impact of the fishery is small and declining. However, the necessary integration with other countries in the Baltic has not been achieved.

SEG considers that this report evidences the need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of the Swedish eel protection, and the implementation of the national Eel Management Plan.