Glass eel seized at Schiphol released into nature

NVWABags with elvers that have been intercepted

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 14:00

170,000 glass eels seized at Schiphol last week have been released into nature. The 54 kilos of baby eels were found in suitcases en route to Malaysia. Two people were arrested.

Before the fish could be released, it had to be examined whether they were sick and whether they were European eels. The glass eels were then released in the Randmeren, near Harderwijk.

Tens of thousands of euros

There is a great demand for eel on the Asian market. In Asia, the glass eels could yield tens of thousands of euros, says the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Due to the critically endangered status of the eel, the species is protected in Europe. Both import and export are prohibited.

The Dupan foundation, in which eel farmers and eel traders, among others, work together, says that smugglers usually simply transport the eels in a bag with a little oxygen at the top. Chairman Alex Koelewijn: “You can compare it with a bag you get when you buy a goldfish. The eels can then survive for about 72 hours.”

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