| Abstract [eng] |
SUMMARY A steep decline in recruitment has occurred over most of the continent since the early 1980. In 2001, ICES announced European eel to be outside safe biological limits. Although several hypotheses have been brought forward as possible explanations of causes of this widespread decline, no unambiguous cause has been identified. This is mostly due to fishing at unsustainable levels, climate changes, pollution or habitat loss. Stock of European reduced in all Baltic countries, like in all European eel spread territory Eel landings in Lithuania is reduced in inland and territorial waters. Eel landings since 1982, deduced double in inland waters, and triple in Coronian lagoon. El stocking with glass eels or elvers reduced too. During the last decade eel landings from inland waters reduced double in Estonia and Latvia, while in Poland landings reduced 0,5 times. Eel commercial fishery in Lithuania is controlled by quotas, fishing gear, fishing seasons, commercial size system. In neighbour countries similar fishery control system is being used. Commission of the European communities presented proposal for a council regulation establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European Eel. The main aspect is that each member country has to prepare management plan to ensure the escapement to sea for at least 40 % of the biomass of silver eel. For Lithuania it would be useful to maintain fishermen’s initiative to stock inland waters by silver eels or elvers, and in this way to enlarge reduced eel stock. To reduce financial detriment for fishermen, because reducing eel fishery it would be useful to pay compensations for fishermen. In international debates it would be useful for Lithuania to aim for eel export in Asia reduction, with the hope to reduce glass eel price and to start inland waters stocking again. |
