At the end of 2022, like every year, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) implored Swedes to stop serving smoked eel for dinner on Christmas Eve. This delicacy is particularly appreciated in the south of the country, especially by the elderly, and the fish is sold at the roadside and in some fish shops. But this tradition infuriates NGOs, since the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) has been classified as a critically endangered species.
Recently, a scandal at the highest level of the Swedish government has shed light on the issue of poaching, a practice that is still widespread and whose consequences are disastrous for eels, according to the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. The case involves the prime minister's right-hand man, Peter Magnus Nilsson, a former columnist for the business newspaper Dagens Industri.
On January 18, Nilsson revealed in a Facebook post that he had been caught red-handed in September 2021, after catching 15 eels. When questioned by representatives of the Marine and Water Management Agency, the former journalist claimed twice that the traps did not belong to him. He ended up confessing in early January, prompting the opposition in parliament to demand his resignation.
Eel population smaller than ever
On Monday, January 23, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that his collaborator's actions were "stupid" but did not justify his departure. "People sometimes commit idiocies," said Kristersson, hoping to put an end to the outcry caused by his aide's confession, which has attracted criticism from the entire public opinion.
Nilsson said in a statement that the Agency for Marine and Water Management has seen "comforting signs [that] eel stocks are increasing in Swedish waters." But this is not the case according to Sofia Brockmark, a fisheries regulatory advisor at the agency. "In addition to being at a historically low level, we see no signs of improvement," the expert said. On the contrary, European eel stocks have declined by 95% since the 1960s.
The situation is even worse in northern Europe, according to Henrik Svedäng, a marine biology researcher at Stockholm University. "The decline rate is as high as 99%, if we compare the current eel population density with the period from 1960 to 1979." In Sweden, not only overfishing but also hydroelectric power plants are being blamed.
Introducing young eels
Since 2000, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended that eels no longer be hunted. In 2007, Sweden partially complied with the advice of scientists by banning recreational fishing and only allowing seasonal commercial fishing in the Öresund Strait and part of the Kattegat Strait. Licenses have not been renewed since 2007 and only 99 fishermen (compared to 384 in 2006) still have the right to catch eels. As a result, the annual catch has dropped from 825 to 52 tons over 15 years.
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