Japan's agricultural minister sparked controversy by pushing back on a proposal filed by the European Union, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Honduras to regulate the trade of eels, including the endangered Japanese eel, according to The Japan Times.
What's happening?
The joint proposal filed with the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as CITES, is up for discussion at a conference in Uzbekistan in the final two months of the year, per the report.
If approved, exporters of 18 eel species would need to adhere to stricter trade requirements based on scientific assessments.
Japan — the world's fourth-largest exporter of eels in 2023, per the Observatory of Economic Complexity — is expected to oppose the move, along with China and South Korea.
"There is a sufficient population, and [the Japanese eel] faces no extinction risk due to international trade," agricultural minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters prior to the filing, according to an Agence France-Presse report made available via Phys.org.
Why is this important?
As a delicacy, the Japanese eel is popular in seafood dishes around the world. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed it as endangered in 2014, with overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution among the factors contributing to its decline. This has had a direct impact on other eel populations harvested to meet demand for the snake-like fish.
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The continued decline of eel populations could threaten the stability of food systems, as the aquatic creatures play a crucial role in protecting biodiversity. For instance, species such as mussels, which help filter pollutants from freshwater, rely on some types of eels to carry their larvae and maintain their numbers, according to the University of Michigan.
What can be done to protect aquatic species more broadly?
When shopping for seafood, choose suppliers committed to sustainable fishing practices. Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch is one resource that offers recommendations and consumer guides.
Supporting conservation organizations, taking action to keep your community waterways free from litter, and advocating for regulations to protect vulnerable species are other ways to contribute to a cleaner and more biodiverse future.
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