The International Union for Conservation (IUCN) announced on Thursday the addition of the Japanese eel into the red list of endangered species.
The IUCN cited "loss of habitat, overfishing, barriers to migration, pollution and changes to oceanic currents," for their decision to include the species into the red list.
"While the status of this species is of great concern, the assessment of the Japanese Eel and other eels is a hugely positive step," said Dr Matthew Gollock, Chair of the IUCN Anguillid Specialist Sub-Group, in a news release. "This information will allow us to prioritise conservation efforts for eel species and the freshwater ecosystem more broadly."
The announcement would restrict the international trade of the fish and quickly became a huge concern among eel traders in Japan. Since the decline of the fish's population in local sources, they had to import the eel, especially during their spawning stage, from sources in China or South Korea.
Eel is included in many traditional dishes in Japan. It is very rich in many vitamins and minerals and most Japanese believe that eating eels would help them achieve healthy skin complexion and good health, as well as longevity.
In order to meet the demand for the fish, Japan traders were forced to buy at least 70 percent of the eels gathered from all over the world.
"If the import and export of the young eel is regulated even more, we could be forced to shut down," a trader told Economic Times.
The notice created a fear among restaurant owners because a limited supply of eels could largely affect their sales. But, according to the IUCN, eels were overly exploited in Japan that caused the rapid decline of their population.
The number of young eels captured decreased considerably from 232 tons in 1963 to 100 tons in 1970s. In 2010, the number decreased further to 10 tons.
