Blanket Eel Trade Restrictions Rejected

Jiji Press

11:31 JST, November 28, 2025

LONDON (Jiji Press) — Signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as the Washington Convention, voted at a committee meeting on Thursday to reject a proposal to restrict the trade of all eel species, including the Japanese eel.

The proposal was submitted by the European Union and others, and Japan opposed it, arguing that the Japanese eel is not endangered.

The result of Thursday’s vote will be reported at a plenary meeting on Dec. 5 of the Washington Convention Conference, which is being held in Uzbekistan.