Murcia to oppose the national plan to declare European eels endangered

Murcia pushes back on eel protections to support local fishing in the Mar Menor

The story of the European eel in the Mar Menor has been developing over the past few months. In January, environmental groups ANSE and WWF released 70 tagged eels back into the lagoon as part of a long-term conservation project, to show just how much this species needs protecting. Around the same time, the Spanish government proposed officially listing the European eel as endangered, bringing stricter legal protections and tighter fishing limits.

Now, the Region of Murcia has announced that it will vote against this proposal. The decision will be discussed at the Flora and Fauna Committee meeting on February 17. Authorities in Murcia argue that not all the necessary scientific studies have been presented and that the proposal does not fully consider the socio-economic importance of eel fishing in the region. 

Murcia is estimated to have over 25% of Spain’s eel population, and artisanal fishing, especially in towns like San Pedro del Pinatar, has been a big part of the local economy and culture for more than five generations.

María Cruz Ferreira, the region’s Secretary for Energy, Sustainability, and Climate Action, said, “Biodiversity conservation is a priority, but it must be based on rigorous scientific information. Blanket measures without full studies and consideration of local management efforts are not reasonable.”

Declaring the European eel endangered would, in practice, ban all fishing in inland and lagoon waters. Murcia points out that current measures, including a nine-and-a-half-month closure and strict quotas, already offer significant protection. Ferreira also stressed that the decline of eel populations is caused by multiple factors, from habitat degradation and pollution to parasites and oceanic changes, which have not been fully taken into account in the national proposal.

The regional government is calling for a balanced, evidence-based approach that protects the European eel while allowing artisanal fishing traditions to continue. This way, the long-standing cultural and economic lifeline of the Mar Menor can be maintained. It will be interesting to see how the next chapter of the eel saga unfolds. 

Images: asociacionanse.org