Recent Eel Decline in a Large Mediterranean Wetland

Abstract

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a critically endangered and declining species. Information from traditional fisheries and a fish monitoring scheme in the Ebro Delta reflect the widely reported eel decline onset in the late 1970s and also a recent, sharp and ongoing decline of similar magnitude (> 80%). This recent trend arises from both fishery and monitoring data, is solidly described by time-series analyses and agrees with patterns reported in other areas. Decline drivers could be related to emergent invasions and/or to the exploitation of the already depleted eel stock. There is an urgent need to re-evaluate eel status and associated management strategies.