Eel fisheries from local to global: drivers of exploitation and prospects for sustainability

淡水鳗鱼(鳗科)是社会、经济和生态力量与保护努力之间复杂互动的中心。有几种鳗鱼的食用价值很高，主要是在东亚。然而，这些物种中的一些已经经历了数量和招募数量的急剧下降，美国和日本的鳗鱼被认为是濒危物种，欧洲鳗鱼被认为是极度濒危的。根据限制供应的因素，如更严格的监管和丰度下降，价格，特别是幼鳗(玻璃鳗)的价格可能会达到高水平，从而刺激密集的捕捞努力。许多国家采取了养护和管理措施，包括改善栖息地、出口禁令、捕捞配额和限制捕捞季节。这些努力对股市的整体影响仍不得而知。与此同时，包括气候变化在内的环境影响也被认为是造成下降的原因之一。这种相互冲突的社会经济和保护需求的特殊融合并不是鳗鱼独有的，它与许多被开发的物种有相似之处，包括其他鱼类和野生动物。因此，鳗鱼为研究影响许多受威胁物种保护的生态、经济和社会动态提供了一个范例。这项研究通过全球鳗鱼捕捞和贸易数据库以及两个鳗鱼捕捞国的人类学实地工作收集了数据。这些定量和定性数据构成了在四个主要领域对鳗鱼渔业进行分析的基础：1)建立概念上的SES框架，反映所涉鳗鱼渔业与影响贸易趋势的因素之间的相互联系。这包括比较目前影响国际决策的主要数据来源。2)案例研究区玻璃鳗渔业治理的相对有效性。3)鳗鱼渔民的动机和行为及其与管理和养护的关系。4)利益相关者之间对鳗鱼估值的差异以及这些差异对协调保护决策的影响。

Freshwater eels (family Anguillidae) are at the centre of a complex interaction between social, economic and ecological forces and conservation efforts. Several species of eel are highly valued for consumption, primarily in East Asia. However, some of these same species have experienced steep declines in stocks and recruitment, with the American and Japanese eels considered endangered and the European eel critically endangered. Depending on factors that limit supply, such as stricter regulations and declining abundance, prices, especially for the juveniles ('glass eels') can reach high levels, thereby incentivising intensive fishing effort. Conservation and management measures have been put in place in many countries, including habitat improvement, export bans, catch quotas and restricted fishing seasons. The overall effect of these efforts on stocks is still unknown. Meanwhile, environmental influences, including climate change, are also thought to play a part in the declines. This particular confluence of conflicting socioeconomic and conservation imperatives is not unique to eels and shares similarities with many exploited species, both of other fish and wildlife. As such, eels provide an example subject for examining the ecological, economic and social dynamics influencing the conservation of many threatened species. This study collected data through global databases of eel fishing and trade as well as through anthropological field work in two eel fishing countries. These quantitative and qualitative data form the basis for analyses of eel fisheries under four main areas: 1) Creation of conceptual SES framework that represents the interconnectedness between eel SESs involved and factors influencing trends in trade. This includes comparison of major data sources that currently influence international policy-making. 2) Relative effectiveness of governance in the glass eel fisheries in the case study areas. 3) Motivations and behaviour of eel fishers and how they are relevant to management and conservation. 4) Differences in valuation of eel between stakeholders and implications of these differences to coordinated conservation decision-making.