Once upon a time, eel was Sweden's most common fish. It was found everywhere but was fished so heavily that it is now on the verge of extinction. The eel population is now one per cent of what it was in the 1950s. According to researchers, we must stop fishing for eel if it is to have a chance of survival, but fishermen disagree.
The Swedish government is open to allowing limited small-scale eel fishing. It may also be possible to transfer eel fishing permits to the next generation, according to the regulatory letter to the Swedish Sea and Water Authority.
A small crowd has gathered at the edge of Rönne å in Skåne to participate in the annual eel release. Almost a million eels are released all over Sweden every year, to compensate for the fact that they cannot get past the expanded power plants by themselves.
During last night's nightly meeting in Brussels, EU fisheries ministers voted in favour of a ban on recreational fishing for eel and an extension of the fishing ban from three to six months. WWF welcomes the decision but is critical of the fact that countries can choose their own time period. Sweden's eel fishery is one of the largest in the EU.
