Last updated: 6 July, 2024 @ 08:20
A Spanish judge has imposed a world-record €7.2m fine for eel smuggling.
The unnamed smuggler was caught with 65kg of glass eels concealed inside suitcases of clothing. The man was attempting to gain entry into Morocco when he was apprehended. Only 2kg of the eels survived.
A 15-month prison sentence for trafficking a protected species was also imposed by the judge. Additionally, he was ordered to pay €7.2m, the amount of damage to the environment calculated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development.
The man’s arrest led to the discovery of an eel smuggling network that was using Morocco as a gateway to the lucrative Asian markets. Ten people were subsequently arrested following raids in different parts of Spain.
The European Eel lives a complex and largely unknown existence. Following a dramatic decline in numbers, European Eels are now critically endangered.
The illegal trade in glass eels is highly lucrative and has been described as ‘one of the world’s biggest wildlife crimes’.
In the UK, glass eels can only be caught by licensed fishermen.