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About the episode
The European eel population is doing very badly. The EU therefore banned the import and export of animals, but this created a veritable eel mafia.
A lucrative illegal eel trade in which billions circulate. In June last year, 49 people were arrested for being part of a smuggling ring trying to move eels in trunks.
Now researchers in England have carried out DNA tests to find out if foods containing eel sold as legal in Asia, North America and Europe are actually legal. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case.
114 samples were analyzed and included endangered European, American and Japanese endangered species. Of the unagi they studied – a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine – 40% of the samples were endangered European freshwater eels.
Eels travel great distances to spawn in the ocean. The young animals born there then travel all the way back to European rivers. Because you can’t easily replicate this, you can’t breed eels well in captivity. Thus, young eels are caught illegally in Europe and then reared in fish farms in East Asia.
A problem – we know from this DNA research – that is even bigger than previously thought.
Learn more here: DNA tests find endangered eels on the menu
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