Admin l Monday, March 06, 2023
BERLIN – Commercial eel fishing will be banned in German waters of the North and Baltic Seas for six months from September because the animal is endangered.
The move has been agreed by the Ministry of Agriculture and the coastal states.
Parliamentary State Secretary Claudia Müller told dpa on Monday: “Without better protection, the eel faces extinction.”
EU law states that any ban must be for a minimum of six months. The timings coincide with similar moves by Denmark and Sweden.
The ban, which also covers eels that are caught in fishing nets by accident, will not be permanent as the important industry will start back up again when a replenishment of eel stocks is achieved.
“Eel fishing provides income to many places in Germany and is a tourism driver,” Müller added. Recreational fishing of eels was already banned until March by the EU.