00:05Do you know which animal is the number one victim of wildlife trafficking in Europe?
00:09It's the European eel.
00:12You heard that, right?
00:13This is the story of a fascinating long-distance migrant whose trafficking can be as lucrative as cocaine.
00:24Europe is fighting back against this illegal trade,
00:27one that could push this critically endangered species over the edge.
00:35We begin our journey at the mouth of the Mino River on the Spanish-Portuguese border.
00:40Each winter, millions of baby eels, called glass eels, arrive here after an epic journey from the Sargasso Sea off
00:47the U.S. coast.
00:49Their population has collapsed by 90% in recent decades.
00:55Yet, trading them remains legal in Europe.
00:58Here, these baby animals are served at 1,350 euro per kilo.
01:02Well, they have the angulose and the jello.
01:05That's what I recommend.
01:07This is a tradition, right?
01:08Yes, yes, yes.
01:09They go to France.
01:10The quantity of the jello is very low.
01:11The Asian market is for the rest of the world.
01:16That's part of the problem.
01:18Exporting eels outside the EU is strictly banned, but it continues.
01:23Catching glass eels is still permitted a few weeks a year here in Galicia.
01:32The activities are closely monitored by Seprona, Spain's environmental police.
01:41These great migrants have crossed the Atlantic.
01:44Their journey ends at the juvenile stage.
01:47They are sold legally for around 600 euro per kilo, but their price can reach up to ten times more
01:52on the international black market.
01:53A powerful incentive.
01:55We try to pay for the fishermen to have everything in order.
02:00And it's not fair.
02:01Because there are a lot of people who have a high price that go and fish it furtively.
02:06The furtivism still has?
02:07There is always there.
02:08There is always there.
02:09When something takes value and has money, then, lógicly, the furtivism will always be there.
02:16When the quantities that are declaring are close to the limit they have,
02:19then it's probable that part of the fishing that they have taken that day will be found in the boat.
02:23It would be illegal and that they would try to sell it to people in a way not official.
02:31During the fishing season, police set up roadblocks searching for hidden shipments.
02:36Glass eels headed to clandestine tanks.
02:40They also monitor licensed traders searching for undeclared eels.
02:44They have checked in the books.
02:46Until now it's all right.
02:49Europol estimates that up to 100 tons of glass eels are smuggled each year.
02:56The Pan-European Police Agency coordinates Operation Lake, which has led to record seizures.
03:01These glass eels were about to fly away by playing inside suitcases.
03:06They put the angula with ice to be able to relax, which is vital cycle.
03:11And so, with an additional oxygen injection, they would wait for the trip to Asia.
03:28The European Union has set a target.
03:31Allow 40% of adult eels to return to the sea to reproduce.
03:35Based in Vigo, the European Fisheries Control Agency plays a supporting role
03:39in preventing illegal trafficking from undermining that objective.
03:43Welcome.
03:43I'm Cyril. Nice to meet you.
03:44Nice to meet you.
03:44Welcome to EFKA Coordination Centre.
03:47This room has brought together Europol and representatives from member states
03:51for dedicated operational actions.
03:54There is a huge process after the catch, where poachers are smuggling this all towards Asia.
04:03There could be certain loopholes when cooperation comes.
04:06Step by step, we achieve to raise awareness, supporting Europol, connect the dots, bring authorities
04:13together, because individually we are like a drops, but together we are like ocean.
04:20The partnership of source, consumer and transit countries is central to the EU's action plan
04:26against wildlife trafficking.
04:30France catches more eels than any other EU member.
04:34It is also home to Interpol.
04:38This expert tells me that poachers are always seeking new routes, just like drug traffickers.
04:43Welcome to my office. Thank you.
04:45Tenemos estructuras de blanqueo de capitales, tenemos estructuras muy complejas que se sitúan
04:52a nivel empresarial, por ejemplo, en diferentes países.
04:55Y es ahí donde también Interpol hace esa labor de conexión para mapear las redes criminales.
05:03Each year tons of European eel are also illegally imported, falsely declared as other eel species.
05:08Si el especímen vivo, no se puede determinar la especie visualmente, cuanto menos un filete.
05:17Ultrafast DNA tests now support customs officers.
05:21Se puede llegar a recibir un resultado hasta en 15 minutos.
05:24Esa es una de las cuestiones críticas, ¿no?
05:27Al fin y al cabo, cuando tú estás paralizando importaciones de este tipo de productos,
05:32necesitas tener un argumento de peso sobre el terreno.
05:36Finalmente, no hay solo la anguila europea.
05:39Si hay mucha presión sobre las redes criminales, van a decir, bueno, pues vamos a buscar una alternativa.
05:45Y a día de hoy, pues una de las alternativas es la anguila americana.
05:50Animals were the subject of intense debate at the last CITES COP20.
05:54The European Union and Panama submitted a proposal for the listing of all eel species.
06:02CITES is a treaty that regulates the international trade in flora and fauna.
06:06This is Humphead Ras.
06:08Hammerhead Sharks.
06:10This is Queen Conk.
06:11About 40,000 species are listed.
06:14The European eel remains the only CITES-listed eel.
06:17The EU proposal was rejected, but the parties adopted a resolution on eels.
06:22Resolutions are long-term implementation guidance to parties.
06:26This specific resolution includes, for example, that they need to collaborate on matters relating to traceability and enforcement.
06:33It also acknowledges that there are areas in terms of knowledge gaps.
06:37So species-specific information, information on the different life stages,
06:42how different management interventions could contribute to conservation and sustainable use.
06:47So all of these areas are areas that the parties will collaborate on and provide information to the Secretariat.
06:54The scientific committees will decide whether there's a need for further steps to be taken,
06:58further recommendations to be made to parties to ensure the conservation and management of eels.
07:04To reduce pressure on this animal, which does not reproduce in captivity,
07:08thousands of international chefs have pledged to ban eel from their menus,
07:12following a call by the NGO Ethic Ocean.
07:15Today, we're talking about extinction, extinction of a species,
07:18and why it's on a card. Today, it's incredible.
07:21Yet, eels are still easy to find in gourmet restaurants or sushi bars.
07:33Overfishing is one of the many causes of the species' decline,
07:36along with pollution, climate change, habitat loss and man-made barriers to migration.
07:51We'll wait here for the eels. See you soon, on the road to green.
07:55And we'll see you soon.
07:59The End
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