Proposal to list eel in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was rejected

One of the core issues discussed at this year's CITES conference is the European Commission's proposal to list 16 species of the Anguilla genus in Appendix II. If the proposal is adopted, starting from 2027, all exporters of eel products (including the "Kabayaki eel" series) will be required to obtain relevant permits. East Asian eel farming countries generally believe that this proposal could further lead to supply chain disruptions, as eels have yet to break through the bottleneck of artificial breeding. The price of American glass eels exceeds $3,700/kg, and the scarcity of eel fry supply has driven up the price of this high-end species in national markets. Before the vote at the CITES conference, representatives from China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan engaged in intensive lobbying, arguing that listing all species of the genus in Appendix II lacks scientific basis and could severely impact regional and even global trade. The voting results from the first CITES committee ...