Enhancing international Eel Governance and Assessment: Insights from the SUDOANG Project
Résumé
The European eel is critically endangered and outside safe biological limits. In 2007, the European Commission implemented a Regulation requiring Member States to establish Eel Management Plans. However, despite these efforts, the eel population has not shown signs of recovery. We initiated the SUDOANG Interreg project to provide managers in Spain, France, and Portugal (SUDOE area) with common toolkits to enhance eel conservation.
Eel management involves multiple levels of governance, spanning regional, national, and international authorities. This can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in the measures adopted for eel management. To overcome these inconsistencies and foster dialogue among stakeholders, we proposed the objectives, structure and composition of a governance platform: GOVERNANG.
Despite being a single fish stock, the European eel is assessed as separate units by each country, using different methodologies. This approach, combined with data and knowledge gaps, and variability in data collection formats, hinders the effectiveness of international eel population assessments. To overcome these challenges, we have established an eel sampling network across 10 basins in Spain, France, and Portugal, encompassing Atlantic and Mediterranean rivers, as well as a Mediterranean lagoon. Additionally, we have developed and implemented common models to estimate recruitment, eel abundance in inland waters , and escapement across the SUDOE area. We have also evaluated the impact of hydropower plants on eel mortality in selected basins. To facilitate information access, we have created the VISUANG online tool, which provides a platform for visualizing both physical and biological data related to eels.
During the presentation we will discuss the challenges we faced in SUDOANG and emphasize the advantages of international and multi-stakeholder collaboration and knowledge exchange for diadromous species. By sharing our experiences and findings, we aim to contribute to the ongoing discourse on effective governance and assessment strategies for these species.