This report offers a comprehensive overview of the conservation status, biology, and recovery efforts related to the critically endangered European eel. Known for its extraordinary life cycle—including a 5,000–10,000 km migration from Europe to the Sargasso Sea—the European eel has suffered a dramatic population decline of over 90% since the 1970s. The case study outlines the species’ complex catadromous life history, its broad geographical range across Europe and North Africa, and its vital role in aquatic ecosystems.
The report details the major threats facing the eel, including habitat fragmentation, overfishing, illegal trade, pollution, parasitic infection, and climate change. In response to these challenges, the study highlights significant conservation interventions such as the European Eel Recovery Plan, the work of the Sustainable Eel Group, habitat restoration projects, and education initiatives like “Eels in the Classroom.”
It concludes with a realistic but hopeful outlook, stressing the continued need for regulation enforcement, habitat restoration, research on climate impacts, and public engagement to secure the species’ future.
This case study is especially relevant to conservation professionals, policymakers, educators, and ecologists interested in migratory species, freshwater ecosystems, and integrated conservation approaches.
Click here to download the Case Study – Conservation Case Study Eels