Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what additional steps he plans to take to tackle the illegal trade in eels and elvers.

The Government takes the issue of illegal trade in eels very seriously and is keen to ensure that at all stages of development – glass eel, elver, or mature eel - they are appropriately protected.

The glass eel fishery in England is highly regulated, and we remain confident we have a good traceability of the catch from the riverbank to the point of export. All known exports of catch from the UK glass eel fishery in recent years have been destined for the known legal market in the EU for restocking and aquaculture.

Moreover, the UK continues to contribute to and support Operation Lake – Europol’s operation to tackle illegal eel trafficking across international borders. We work closely with our European and other international partners in a number of international fora, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to ensure we are taking strong and effective measures to deter any illegal trade.