Sargasso Sea Commission

05/13/2026

17 likes. "WATCH: King Charles Visits Trunk Island's Living Classroom on Solo Trip to Bermuda"

05/13/2026

This eel was found in Spittal Pond by Peter James in February! It’s no regular Bermuda eel - this is an anguillid or freshwater eel. They make incredible migrations, spawning in the Sargasso Sea but living most of their lives in freshwater environments up rivers in Europe and the Americas.

Sometimes the eels can be found in inshore brackish environments in Bermuda! Check out Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo supported by Bermuda Zoological Society post for more information on how the team there and at BIOS Arizona State University took samples from this eel and returned it to the wild!

The Sargasso Sea Commission has worked for years to strengthen collaboration for the conservation of American and European eels, which are exposed to many threats throughout their life cycle which takes them across ecological and geographic boundaries.

The Commission has hosted several ‘range states’ workshops for both species in order to share data and establish better coordination for their stewardship. The work of the Sargasso Sea Commission recently led to the adoption of a single species action plan for the critically endangered European eel by the parties to the Convention on Migratory Species at their 15th COP.

05/05/2026

The Sargasso Sea is a distinctive region of the Atlantic Ocean, known for its calm waters, floating seaweed, and rich biodiversity.

04/27/2026

Walther Herwig III visits St. George's Bermuda! This German-led research ship has just completed its sixth research cruise investigating the life cycle of the critically endangered European eel. The Sargasso Sea is their only spawning area. Data from the cruises has informed the work of the Sargasso Sea Commission to conserve this fascinating fish.

A German-led team of scientists has completed a sixth round of research in a spawning area of the Sargasso Sea for the critically endangered European eel. Led by Reinhold Hanel, a professor of the Thü...

04/15/2026

Don't miss this FREE lecture on our amazing Sargasso Sea.

04/02/2026

An update to this story: the single species action plan for the European eel was agreed at the CMS COP last week with support from the EU and Monaco! Read the full story below for more details.

Did you know the European eel is one of the most trafficked animals on Earth? From the depths of the Sargasso Sea to high-end sushi restaurants, these critically endangered fish are at the centre of a global conservation battle.

Some facts you probably did not know:

💰Glass eels can sell up to $15,000/kg at their destination
🚫The European Union has banned their export in 2010
😱Europol estimates that up to 100 tonnes of glass eels are smuggled each year, generating up to 3 billion euros annually of illegal trade

Solutions?
Leaders from around the world have finalized a Single Species Action Plan with a link to the new UN Agreement on Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) to be presented at CMS COP 15 in Brazil. This agreement should then be adopted by the Parties and prompt urgent action on the conservation on the eels.

Read the full article here: https://iwlearn.net/conserving-the-eels-of-the-sargasso-sea

Sargasso Sea Commission

04/02/2026

A win for the European eel! 🎉 A single species action plan for the European eel was agreed by the parties to the Convention on Migratory Species during their COP 15 in Campo Grande, Brazil, in the heart of the Pantanal. The draft was supported by the EU and Monaco at the meeting and passed without any changes.

The Sargasso Sea Commission and the Convention on Migratory Species have collaborated on the conservation of the European eel for years. The first range states meeting of the European eel was held in 2016. The first draft of the single species action plan was arrived at in 2020. Last year, in Malmo, in a meeting supported by Sweden and Monaco with support from the World Maritime University Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, the range states finalised the second draft of the plan. This draft was agreed at the CMS COP last week.

European eels are critically endangered, largely due to overharvesting by humans. It is estimated that fisheries catches for the eel have fallen 90% since the 1970s. They are targeted at their glass eel stage to be raised in aquaculture for the sushi trade. Europol estimates that up to 100 tonnes of glass eels are smuggled each year, and in peak years, they can generate 3 billion euros of illegal trade. They are also threatened by other pressures including barriers to migration, habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and more. The eels have a complex life cycle, they breed in the ocean - with their only spawning site being the Sargasso Sea - and migrate huge distances to the coast of Europe and up rivers to live most of their lives in freshwater environments.

The plan includes a specific provision to engage with the new UN Agreement on Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) in relation to the Sargasso Sea to coordinate conservation of the European eel.

Photo: Joel Sartore

03/28/2026