Eel-egal trade: the world’s most lucrative wildlife crime? – The Week

Report on the Illegal Eel Trade and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is facing critical endangerment due to a confluence of environmental pressures and a burgeoning illegal trade. This crisis directly undermines several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning biodiversity, sustainable consumption, and global security. This report details the scale of the issue, its drivers, and the international efforts required to address it.

Threats to Biodiversity: A Failure to Uphold SDG 14 and SDG 15

Population Collapse and Ecosystem Impact

The European eel population has declined by over 90% since the 1970s, placing the species on the critically endangered list. This collapse is a significant setback for the achievement of SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), which call for the conservation of marine and freshwater ecosystems and the halting of biodiversity loss.

• Overfishing: Unsustainable harvesting of juvenile and adult eels to meet market demand.
• Habitat Loss: Degradation and fragmentation of riverine ecosystems essential for the eel’s life cycle.
• Pollution: Contamination of waterways affecting eel health and reproduction.
• Climate Change: Alterations in ocean currents impacting the migration of eel larvae.

The decline of this species has cascading effects on the ecosystems it inhabits, disrupting food webs and compromising the health of aquatic environments, directly contravening targets within SDG 14 and SDG 15.

Unsustainable Economic Models: Contravening SDG 12

Global Demand and Illicit Supply Chains

The primary driver of the illegal trade is insatiable global demand, particularly from East Asian markets, for eel as a culinary delicacy. This demand fuels a production model that is fundamentally at odds with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

1. Dependence on Wild Stock: Eel aquaculture has not achieved scalable captive breeding, making it entirely reliant on the capture of wild juvenile “glass eels.”
2. Global Consumption of Endangered Species: A recent study indicates that over 99% of eels consumed worldwide belong to three endangered species: European, Japanese, and American.
3. Lack of Traceability: The absence of a global tracking system for eels prevents consumers and importers from verifying the legality and sustainability of their products, fostering a market where illicit goods can thrive.

Organized Crime and Institutional Weakness: A Challenge to SDG 16

The Scale of Eel Trafficking

The illegal trade in European eels has evolved into a highly organized, transnational criminal enterprise, posing a direct threat to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Europol estimates that up to 100 tonnes of juvenile eels are smuggled from Europe annually, generating illicit profits of up to €3 billion in peak years, making it one of the world’s most significant wildlife crimes.

Methods and Loopholes

Criminal networks exploit regulatory loopholes and engage in sophisticated illicit activities that undermine the rule of law.

• Smuggling and Fraud: Traffickers utilize complex routes, often laundering the eels’ origin by exporting them to Asia via third countries where regulations are less stringent.
• Associated Crimes: The trade involves document fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering, further challenging the integrity of global financial and legal systems as outlined in SDG 16.4.
• Regulatory Gaps: The EU’s zero-export quota, implemented in 2007, inadvertently spurred the growth of a sophisticated black market that enforcement agencies struggle to contain.

International Cooperation: A Pathway Forward through SDG 17

Current Enforcement and Future Proposals

Addressing this global crisis requires robust international cooperation, aligning with the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). While enforcement actions like Europol’s “Operation Lake” have resulted in significant seizures, a more comprehensive solution is needed.

A critical opportunity for progress lies in the upcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The European Union has proposed listing all eel species under CITES protections. This measure is crucial because the physical similarity between different eel species currently allows traffickers to mislabel illegal European eels as legal species. A comprehensive listing would close this loophole, strengthen international enforcement capabilities, and represent a vital step towards securing the future of the species and upholding global commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The article highlights the “insatiable demand” for eels, which drives overfishing and illegal trade, pointing to unsustainable consumption patterns.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water – The core issue is the threat to European eels, an aquatic species, due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution, which directly relates to the conservation and sustainable use of marine and aquatic resources.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – While eels are aquatic, this goal is relevant because it includes targets to end poaching and trafficking of protected species. The article describes eel trafficking as “one of the world’s most lucrative wildlife crimes.”
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The article details the “thriving illegal trade” in eels, which involves “highly complex, organised crime,” “smuggling, document fraud, tax evasion and money laundering,” all of which are issues addressed by this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The article demonstrates a failure to meet this target, as the current method of sourcing eels is entirely dependent on “wild-caught juveniles,” which has led to the species becoming critically endangered.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Target 14.4: By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The article’s main theme is the collapse of eel populations due to overfishing and a massive illegal trade, showing this target is highly relevant and has not been met.
• Target 14.c: Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law. The discussion of the EU’s proposal to list all eel species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) directly relates to using international legal instruments to protect marine life.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.7: Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products. The article is centered on the trafficking of European eels, a critically endangered and protected species, detailing the scale of the smuggling operations and the demand driving them.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.4: By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime. The article explicitly states that eel trafficking generates “€2.5–3 billion in peak years” and involves “sophisticated criminal networks,” “document fraud, tax evasion and money laundering,” which are forms of illicit financial flows and organized crime.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 14 (Target 14.4) and SDG 15 (Target 15.7)

• Population Decline of a Species: The article provides a clear metric of the problem by stating, “The European eel population has declined by more than 90% since the 1970s.” This serves as a direct indicator of the health of the species and the failure of conservation efforts to date.
• Conservation Status: The article notes that “By 2007, the European eel was listed as critically endangered,” which is a formal indicator used by conservation bodies to measure extinction risk.

Indicators for SDG 15 (Target 15.7) and SDG 16 (Target 16.4)

• Volume and Value of Illegal Trade: The article provides specific figures that can be used as indicators of the scale of the illegal trade. It mentions “up to 100 tonnes of juvenile eels are smuggled from Europe each year, generating €2.5–3 billion in peak years.”
• Number and Volume of Seizures: Progress in combating trafficking can be measured by enforcement actions. The article provides data points such as, “In 2023, EU authorities seized more than a million live eels in nearly 5,200 operations,” and “Europol’s Operation Lake… seized 22 tonnes of glass eels” in a specific period. These figures act as indicators of law enforcement effectiveness.

Indicator for SDG 12 (Target 12.2)

• Proportion of Endangered Species in Consumption: The article implies an indicator of unsustainable consumption by stating that “more than 99% of eels consumed worldwide belong to three endangered species.” This highlights a heavy reliance on threatened natural resources.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Identified in the Article

Source: theweek.com