The Sustainable Eel Group is pleased to announce the publication of an academic paper which evaluates the condition of the European eel stock. Authored by Dr. Florian Stein, a former SEG colleague whose work has long supported our mission, it presents a groundbreaking analysis of the illegal trade and its implications for conservation, law enforcement, and policy.

Stein’s research, developed over many years and drawing on field experience and extensive collaboration with international partners, explores how the European eel has become the target of one of the world’s largest and most lucrative wildlife trafficking operations. His work reveals that approximately a quarter of Europe’s glass eel stock is lost annually to illegal export, primarily to East Asia, where the demand for aquaculture far exceeds what can be met through legal supply. Through a series of published studies included in the document, he records both the scale of the trafficking and the systemic failures that have thus far allowed it to persist.

Among the most striking findings is the revelation of a major discrepancy between the officially reported input of glass eels into Asian aquaculture systems and the much higher production figures these farms report. In one key chapter, Stein and collaborators provide the first genetic evidence linking smuggled European glass eels to seizures in Hong Kong, confirming that trafficked eels were indeed reaching overseas markets in violation of trade bans imposed and enforced by CITES and the European Union. Another chapter details the results of coordinated enforcement under Operation LAKE, a Europe-wide effort that has, since 2016, led to over 700 arrests and the seizure of more than 80 million glass eels. Stein not only chronicles these enforcement efforts but evaluates their effectiveness and the urgent need for continued, expanded cooperation between law enforcement, policymakers, and civil society.

In later chapters, the study examines the presence of European eel in processed food products originating from China and marketed as unagi kabayaki, revealing significant gaps in traceability and compliance with EU labelling regulations. A meta-analysis underscores that European eel is appearing in seafood markets around the world. This suggests that, despite policymakers’ commitment to regulating and restricting trade outside the eel’s natural range, it continues to be traded across international borders, evading the attentions of trained customs officials.

This paper does more than compile data. It contextualises the illegal eel trade within a broader discussion of ecological decline, regulatory fragmentation, and the complex interplay between conservation science and organised crime. Stein calls for a reinvention of the way eel protection is approached: not just through better enforcement, but through more integrated, science-based policymaking and a deeper public understanding of the eel’s ecological and cultural value.

As someone who contributed significantly to SEG’s mission during his tenure, Florian’s work stands as both a vital scientific contribution and a call to action. It continues to inform what we do and how we do it. We urge all stakeholders in the eel’s future, from fishers to policymakers, to engage with the findings of the study. Only through a truly collaborative and informed effort can we hope to turn the tide for one of Europe’s most enigmatic and imperilled species.

Further reading

Florian Stein’s latest article on eel trafficking

Florian Stein on ResearchGate