François Ruffin alerts Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher to the disappearance of the eel in the Somme

The deputy for the Somme François Ruffin questioned Agnès Pannier-RunacherMinister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forest, Sea and Fisheries, on the return ofeel.

Classified as a critical danger of extinction

In a question written in the government, the Samarian deputy Indicates: “The eel is classified as” in critical danger of extinction “. It is even more threatened than the polar bear or the Bengal Tiger. It is a cry of alarm that launches, to my permanence, Michel Blondin (President of fishermen at the Ponthieu line). And what confirms the National Inventory of Natural Heritage (INPN): the eel eel on the “global red list of endangered species”, “European red list of endangered species”, “Red List of Freshwater from Metropolitan France »…

The cause: Civelle fishing

For François Ruffin, the main cause of this quasi-space is known: Civelle fishing. “These eels babies, caught in rivers estuaries, are sold between 1000 and 2,000 euros per kilo on the Asian market. But by dint of fishing for these fry, there are fewer and fewer to go up rivers and become adult eels. »»

In his question, the deputy continues: “In the Sommethere is a disappearance of the eel. And with it, it is a part of our local culture, a culinary tradition that disappears. To remedy this, according to the International Council for the exploration of the sea, indicates: “The captures of eels should be zero in all habitats. This applies to both recreational and commercial captures and includes the captures of civelles for repopulation and farming. “”

Penalized amateur fishermen

And to add: “However, it is only to fishermen with the amateur line that we attack:” Restriction of fishing periods, suppression of night fishing, followed by populations and biotopes “. Communities may have been investing millions for years to improve water quality (treatment plants, prohibition for toxic products, multiplication of controls, etc.) and facilitate the circulation of eels (fish passes, new Types of dams…), nothing helps.

François Ruffin then asks: “Madam Minister, what are you going to do to bring the eel back to our rivers and our ponds?” Are you going to continue to restrict leisure fishing, which, in reality, already exists almost no longer due to the virtual period of eels? Or are you going to make decisions that are necessary to deal with the problem at the root, by a moratorium on civelle fishing and the fight against poaching?

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