Japan's Beloved Unagi at the Center of Global Conservation Debate

At a small eel restaurant on the outskirts of Tokyo, four friends gather to share unagi, a storied element of Japanese celebratory dining now caught up in a heated international conservation dispute. The upcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Uzbekistan will consider placing all 17 eel species under Appendix II, a move that would tighten international trade controls.

Why eels matter — and why they’re in trouble

Eels are a culinary staple across East Asia, particularly in Japan, where they are commonly grilled and brushed with a sweet soy-and-rice-wine glaze. Up to 85% of global eel consumption takes place in East Asia; Japan alone imported nearly three-quarters of roughly 61,000 tonnes consumed in the country last year.

Scientists point to a combination of human-driven pressures driving global declines: polluted waterways, wetland loss, hydroelectric dams blocking migration routes, and intensive fishing. Counting eels is difficult because of their complex life cycle: the Japanese eel spawns in the open ocean west of the Mariana Islands, its larvae drift toward shore as glass eels, then spend five to 15 years in freshwater before returning to sea to reproduce.

Aquaculture’s dependence and the supply squeeze

Almost all eels consumed in Japan come from aquaculture, but farms cannot breed them in captivity and therefore depend on wild-caught or imported glass eels. Glass-eel catches in Japan have fallen to under 10% of 1960s levels, creating sharp year-to-year price swings for consumers and restaurateurs.

“It’s a luxury dish that we eat to treat ourselves or to celebrate an occasion,” said Yukiko Takahashi, 52, as she enjoyed a meal at a restaurant that combines farming and dining. Chef Tomoyuki Takashino noted that unaju (eel over rice) now costs more than twice what it did 15 years ago.

Takayuki Hiranuma, president of a high-tech aquaculture operation, describes how his facility raises roughly 80,000 eels in temperature-controlled reservoirs. Over about ten months the animals can grow roughly a thousandfold in weight before being sold or cooked on site. Hiranuma and other producers fear stricter export rules under Appendix II could complicate already fragile supply chains.

Political dispute and competing assessments

Japan opposes the proposal to list all eel species under CITES Appendix II, arguing it already enforces fishing quotas and farming permits. Officials cite a study from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology that reports an increase in Japanese eel biomass across East Asia since 1990, and a United Nations FAO expert advisory panel this year said the extinction risk for Japanese and American eels is "low." Japan says it is coordinating with China, South Korea and Taiwan to limit glass-eel harvests and improve stock management.

But conservation advocates caution that official assessments may overlook the scale and damage of illegal trade. Andrew Kerr of the Sustainable Eel Group calls eel trafficking "one of the greatest wildlife crimes on the planet," noting that similar appearance among eel species enables mislabeling and smuggling.

Historically, Asian markets relied on smuggled glass eels from Europe after the EU banned exports in 2010; Europol estimates roughly 100 tonnes of glass eels still transit illegally each year. As European supplies have declined, shipments from the Caribbean have risen, raising fresh concerns about impacts on those populations.

What’s at stake

The CITES debate is not only about immediate extinction risk but about whether a coordinated international regulatory framework can reduce illegal trade and protect multiple eel species worldwide while allowing sustainable aquaculture and culinary traditions to persist. The outcome could reshape supply chains, regulations and conservation funding for a fish that is culturally and economically important across several continents.