Authorities in France and Spain have arrested six French nationals and two Spaniards who were allegedly part of a transnational syndicate that were trafficking critically endangered European eels. The suspects are accused of smuggling more than 7 million eels worth 600,000 euros ($693,000) over two years. The joint investigation began a year ago. In March 2025, the public prosecutor’s office in Bayonne, a city in southwestern France bordering Spain, opened a judicial investigation into suspected smuggling of juvenile European eels — known as glass eels at this stage of their development — from the Adour River Basin and the Bay of Biscay. Authorities uncovered an international trafficking ring operated by a collector from the Landes region, according to the prosecutor’s office. He worked for a French fish wholesaler, authorities say, and was laundering glass eels that were caught illegally amid those caught legally, circumventing rules in place to trace the origins of the fish. Over the past two years, officials believe he poached and trafficked more than two tons of glass eels to his employer and, clandestinely, to a Spanish wholesaler. On March 12, 2026, each of the alleged smugglers arrested in France was charged with participating in a criminal activity, unauthorized possession, transport and export of animal products, and forgery. They’ve also been banned from engaging in any fishing activities, and one individual was required to pay bail of 100,000 euros ($115,500). European eels (Anguilla anguilla) are coveted as a delicacy in East Asian cuisine. They’re caught in their…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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