CCU 7^th Floor

Eastbury House

30-34 Albert Embankment

London

SE1 7TL

Email: [email address]

Website: www.defra.gov.uk

Dear Mr Holmes,

Protection of freshwater eels

Thank you for your email of 10 December about the protection of freshwater eels. I have been asked to reply.

Through CITES, 173 countries, including the UK, work to protect endangered species of plants and animals by restricting and monitoring international trade in them. The objective of CITES is not to prohibit all trade in animals and plants, but to ensure that it is carried out in a sustainable way that ensures the long-term survival of all species. It has been very successful in this respect.

CITES works by placing endangered species on one of three appendices, each offering a different level of protection. Appendix I contains species threatened with extinction and therefore international, commercial trade is only permitted in exceptional circumstances. Appendix II contains species whose trade must be carefully monitored to prevent the threat of extinction. Appendix III contains species which are protected in some countries and so trade is monitored with the help of other Parties to CITES.

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) will be listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) with effect from 13 March.

I hope that this letter addresses your concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Miss J.T. Patel

Defra - Customer Contact Unit