Black Market for Eels: Billion-Dollar Business Brought Species to the Brink of Extinction

24ur.com

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In an international operation coordinated by Europol, 26 people were arrested and 22 tons of glass eels were seized. These are juvenile eels that are illegally caught in Europe and then raised in Asian fish farms. Although the species is critically endangered and the EU has banned exports for 15 years, the black market is thriving. Europol estimates that they earn up to three billion euros a year from resale.