1. The Eel Regulation and Eel Management Plans Jean-Claude CUEFF European Commission Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Unit A2: Common Fisheries Policy and Aquaculture Seminar: RESTAURER LA CONTINUITÉ ÉCOLOGIQUE : UN AXE PHARE DU PLAN NATIONAL DE GESTION DE L’ANGUILLE 26 janvier 2010

2. Eel Management Plans2 OUTLINE  Part I: Timeline of events  Part II: Content of Eel Management Plans  Part III: Evaluation of Eel Management Plans  Part IV: Glass Eel and CITES  Part V: State of Play

3. Eel Management Plans3 Part I: TIMELINE   18 September 2007: Adoption of Regulation (EC) No 1100/2007 establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel   31 December 2008: Deadline for submission of EMP’s

4. Eel Management Plans4 TIMELINE   MS must report to the COM every 3 years (then every 6) on: The % of biomass of silver eel escaping to the sea The level of fishing effort and reductions thereof The mortality caused by non-fisheries factors and the reductions thereof The amount of glass eel caught and the % of these used for different purposes (export, consumption, aquaculture, restocking etc.) By 31 December 2013 the COM will report to EP and Council on the outcome of the implementation of EMP’s, up to that date. Based on the outcome of this report, the Commission may propose additional measures to ensure stock recovery.

5. Eel Management Plans5 Part II: Content of the EMP’s   Each MS is required to submit an EMP for each eel river basin (or one covering its entire territory).   We’ve received 70 plans from 19 MS - more than 5,000 pages.   Member States were required to refer to the River Basin Districts established under the Water Framework Directive in order to draft their plans.

6. Eel Management Plans6

7. 7  Goal of EMP: 40% of silver eel biomass must be allowed to escape to the sea (or downstream)  Goal of EMP: 40% of silver eel biomass must be allowed to escape to the sea (or downstream) – Difficult to calculate for most Member States due to lack of data.  Long-term objective – at least 2-3 eel generations. MS must give a timescale for reaching the 40% target. Content of the EMP’s

8. Eel Management Plans8 Content of the EMP’s  Many EMP’s contain measures such as: - fishing effort reduction (commercial and recreational): limitations in seasons, gears, minimum landing sizes. - restocking measures - assistance in obstacle passage e.g. trap and transport schemes.  MS sharing a river basin should jointly prepare plans (also with 3 rd countries)  EMP’s will be subject to modification / improvement in view of new scientific info/data and changes in stock status.

9. Eel Management Plans9 Part III: Evaluation of EMP’s  Step 1: DG MARE has carried out an Admissibility Check of EMP’s for conformity with Regulation 1100/2007.  Step 2: ICES (with support from EIFAC WG Eel) is carrying out the technical evaluation of the EMP’s: - Will 40% escapement be achieved? - How effective are the proposed measures? - Effectiveness of restocking? etc.  Step 3: The Commission approves/rejects plans, taking ICES advice into consideration  If the Commission takes a Decision to reject a plan, the Member State has 3 months to submit a revised one, otherwise a 50% reduction in fishing effort or catch must be implemented.

10. Eel Management Plans10 Part IV: Glass Eel and CITES   According to the Regulation, 60% of glass eel (<12cm long) are to be used in restocking, for the purpose of increasing escapement of silver eel to the sea. (Start at 35%, reach 60% by 2013)   Evolution of market is uncertain, but safety net exists: if prices paid by restockers are too low, the % reserved for restocking may be lowered.

11. Eel Management Plans11 Glass Eel and CITES  Eel is listed on CITES Appendix II. This listing came into force on 13 March 2009.  The Scientific Review Group for CITES debated for about 2 years before taking a decision regarding eel.  An export quota on glass eel was established. This will decrease every year.

12. Eel Management Plans12 Glass Eel and CITES  Any Member State wishing to export glass eel can only do so once its EMP has been approved.  Only France and Spain have declared their intention to export eel from the EU.  Third country wishing to export eel to the EU must also demonstrate that such export does not harm the stock.

13. Eel Management Plans13 Part V: State of Play  To date, the EMP’s of the following Member States have been approved: BE, CZ, DK, EE, IE, LT, LU, LV, NL, PL and SE.  FI will be presented for an approval vote on the 28 th of January 2010.  DE, EL, ES, FR, IT, PT and UK are still under examination.  [BG and SI have submitted requests for exemption after the deadline and these requests will probably be refused]

14. Eel Management Plans14