Dynamics of European eel landings and stocks in the coastal waters of Estonia

Abstract

European eel stocks are in a decline all over Europe. In Estonia, we analysed three different dataseries (commercial landings 1969-2014, scientific eel monitoring 1998-2014, and recreational catches 2005-2012). In the commercial fishery, the biggest drop in landings occurred in the 1980s, with a small recovery in the end of the 1990s. We also interviewed fishers to evaluate the quality of the official catch figures. In the monitoring dataseries, gathered by the use of special eel fykenets, the steepest cpue decline occurred in the last 5 years. Finally, recreational eel fishery has almost stopped: in 2012, catches were only 3% of that in 2005. In conclusion, both professional and recreational eel catches have declined in all the coastal areas of Estonia. The number of professional and recreational fishers specialized to eel fishing has decreased and the number of licences for eel-specific fishing gear has been reduced.