The Basque Executive has informed the Association of Anglers of Euskadi the suspension of the next elver fishing campaign in the autonomous community. The decision comes after a meeting held by the Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries with representatives of the sector, in which the latest technical opinions were shared.
The measure is supported by recent evidence that warns of the critical situation of the European eel and the lack of progress with the restrictions applied so far. The Government's stated objective is to prevent irreversible deterioration of the species and align management with scientific recommendations.
What has been decided and why now
The regional administration has opted for suspend the 2025-2026 campaign of elver fishing in the Basque Country. The resolution is based on two technical reports and an institutional resolution which agree that the current measures have not achieved the recovery or recruitment and escape required for the species.
Technical and regulatory basis of the measure
Among the documents presented is the post-evaluation of the Angula Management Plan submitted by Spain to the European Commission, analyzed by ICES in May 2025 along with the rest of the Member States' plans. This review confirms that the objectives set out in the 2007 European Council Regulation on eel are still far from being met.
In addition, the Ararteko issued a resolution on June 4 recommending adjust the regulation of elver fishing to the recovery needs of the European eel. The Basque Ombudsman emphasizes that any restrictions must be based on technical and scientific opinions and within the framework of the management plan in force in the Basque Country.
Status of the species and results of the last campaign
The data provided by the Department indicate that the presence of eels in Basque rivers is around 7% compared to the 60s and 70sDespite limiting fishing activity and promoting habitat improvements and river connectivity, the stock remains outside safe biological limits.
Along the same lines, a report by AZTI —which will be elevated to the ICES Angula working group—points out that the species does not show signs of recoveryThis diagnosis reinforces the prudence adopted by the Basque administration.
In the 2024-2025 campaign, the first with professional fishing, the authorized catches reached 198,44 kilos, which is equivalent to 39,69% of the 554 kilos setThese figures are interpreted as an indicator of the low availability of glass eels in the waters of the Basque Country.
The Department stresses that the suspension is adopted to halt the decline of the species and prevent its local disappearance, a risk that also appears in studies on prehistoric fishThe season that was supposed to start on November 1th It is therefore on hold, awaiting new management tools.
Next steps: plan update and work table
Once the ICES evaluation is received, the Basque Government plans to open a new one in November. Work table to update the 2010 Angula Management Plan. The idea is to incorporate additional measures that will improve the conservation status and, in the medium term, recover the fishery.
- Provincial Councils of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia
- Scientific staff from AZTI and the EHU
- Association of Anglers of the Basque Country
- A representative of environmental organizations
The Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries says it will continue to work towards management that ensures the sustainability of the species and its river environment, taking into account the best scientific evidence available.
The voice of the elver sector
From the Association of Anglers of Euskadi they have transferred their surprise The way the decision was communicated: they were summoned early in the morning, and shortly afterward, the announcement was released to the media. The organization assures that it will offer a more detailed assessment in the coming days.
Sources in the sector indicate that they hope to actively participate in the working group to contribute proposals that make the protection of the resource compatible with the viability of the activity when biological conditions allow it.
With the reports from ICES, AZTI and the Ararteko resolution on the table, the suspension aims to allow for a review of management that focuses on the fulfillment of recruitment and escape objectives, so that the European eel can return to the Basque rivers and fishing can be reopened with guarantees.
