Eel Regulation Dropped After Japan Opposition

Dec 05, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The proposal to strengthen regulations on international eel trade has been formally shelved, marking a result in line with the position pushed by Japan and several other countries.
EU member states and others had called for tighter controls on all eel transactions under the Washington Convention, citing global resource depletion and the need for stronger international oversight. However, Japan countered that the Japanese eel faces no imminent risk of extinction and opposed the measure.

At last week’s committee meeting, the proposal failed to secure the required two-thirds majority and was rejected.

During the plenary session held on December 4th, the EU and other supporters did not file objections, and the proposal was officially withdrawn.

With the decision, a surge in eel prices due to tighter regulations is expected to be avoided for the time being. Yet concerns over resource depletion remain strong, and Japan, as one of the world’s largest consumers, is likely to continue facing scrutiny over the robustness of its management and conservation practices.

Source: TBS

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