Exchanging information on catadromous eels in Southeast Asia

The need for conservation and management of eel resources has been attracting attention while the resources of temperate Anguillid eels such as Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica), European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and American eel (A. rostrate) have rapidly decreased. Since 2009, European eel, A. anguilla had been listed in CITES Appendix II virtually prohibiting their export and import. To compensate the shortage of supply of these temperate Anguillid eels, tropical Anguillid eels such as Indian mottled eel (Anguilla bengalensis), Indonesian shortfin eel (Anguilla bicolor), and marbled eel (Anguilla marmorata) become economically-important Anguillid eel species in the region. It is necessary to ensure that these resources should be conserved and managed properly in order that they will not to be critically endangered and be listed on the CITES Appendices as a consequence. Catch statistics are the most important basic data for assessing the current status and trend of fish resources. In order to evaluate the relative abundance of eel resources, there is a need to develop the catch statistics on eels, especially the tropical Anguillid eels in Southeast Asia. However, data on catch statistics of Anguillid eels in the region are insufficient. It is therefore necessary to establish an inventory system as soon as possible for the conservation, management and sustainable utilization of the tropical Anguillid eel resources and also for future development of the eel industry in the region.