How to deal with confiscated European eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) destined for reintroduction?

Abstract

Illegal trafficking of critically endangered European eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) to Asia for consumption is a lucrative business and considered to be Europe’s most significant illegal wildlife trade in terms of monetary value. Consequently, international and national authorities take action to intercept traffickers and confiscate glass eels. While there are potential biosecurity risks by reintroducing the eels into the wild such as pathogen spread, there are currently no guidelines on how to deal with large numbers of confiscated glass eels. In our work we provide such guidelines to put the eels in quarantine and test them for pathogens but also species identification. The latter is not only necessary to prevent the introduction of non-native species, it can also be a necessity in court. Nonetheless we stress the need for a European standard on eel quarantine and both pathogen and molecular species identification testing. In addition, due to the lack of knowledge on pathogen impacts and the effectiveness of glass eel restocking, urgent research on that front is needed to implement effective reintroduction measures.