A shift in the trade? An investigation of the eel trade reveals a likely species switch

Abstract

Anguillid eels have seen precipitous declines in their population sizes. Because of these declines, a number are currently designated as Endangered, Critically Endangered, or are listed on Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Appendix II. While the export of the critically endangered Anguilla anguilla outside the European Union is tightly regulated, large quantities of A. anguilla juveniles continue to be smuggled out of the EU to Asia where they are grown in eel farms until reaching a marketable size. To investigate the prevalence and consumption of Endangered anguillids—particularly A. anguilla—we examined 327 individual eel products purchased across 86 retailers throughout Singapore. Identification was conducted through DNA barcoding of the COI gene. We overwhelmingly identified the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, which accounted for 70% of all the identifications made, while A. anguilla was only identified three times. These findings may indicate a shift in trade to A. rostrata. This shift highlights the need for improved monitoring of the eel trade, particularly the more desirable anguillids. Our results suggest that A. rostrata warrants specific attention, with increased enforcement and monitoring needed as proactive steps necessary to avoid the same dramatic population declines that have been documented in other anguillids.