Hundreds of thousands of eels are being moved out to sea so that they can reproduce. The plan is an attempt to restore their declining numbers. Some 140 Dutch eel fisheries will shortly be catching at least 157,000 kilo of adult eels to be deposited at five locations in the sea between 1 August and 1 December. The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries is investing € 700,000 in the scheme and the fisheries € 300,000.

The Dutch eel management plan has met with criticism from the EU Commissioner for Fisheries because it contains no restrictions on eel fishing.

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