Asia Times: Another favorite dish going extinct
A revered tradition during Japan's hot and humid summer is eating broiled eel, a dish believed to induce energy. But this year, the item has been elusive on menus following a decision by the European Union to slash eel exports. Facing stock depletion, Europe is considering a move to have the trade in eels restricted under the Washington Convention that protects endangered species in the world. European exports, mostly juvenile eel caught off the coasts of France and Spain and then dispatched to countries such as China for cultivation, account for between 50% to 70% of Japanese consumption, now around 100,000 tons per year. The Japanese media, quoting data from Europe, say recent annual catches have been less than 200 tons. Some estimates indicate that stocks have fallen to about 1% of those available in the 1970s. Catches in Japan, despite its eel-eating tradition, constitute only about 20% of domestic consumption. Catches of young eels in Japanese waters have plunged to around 20 tons to 30 tons - about one-tenth the figure in the 1970s, mostly due to coastal destruction...more...
