Possible Trade Restrictions May Increase Eel Price in Japan; Availability of Summer Delicacy Could Decline
If the proposal is approved at an international conference scheduled to start in November, the supply of imported eels, which lately have been available at relatively affordable prices, could be affected.
Affordable eels from Asia
'When I want to treat myself a little, eel is the way to go,' said a company employee, 35, from Koto Ward, Tokyo, as he munched on eel at major chain Naruse's Unagi Sengakuji Store in Tokyo's Minato Ward on July 18.
The temperature in Tokyo that day exceeded 30 C, and the restaurant was packed with customers trying to beat the summer heat at lunchtime.
Prices of eel bowls served at the store start at ¥1,600. The low price is achieved by importing grilled Japanese and American eel farmed elsewhere in Asia.
Since opening in 2022, Naruse's Unagi has grown rapidly, expanding to about 400 stores.
However, Masahiro Yamamoto, president of Franchise Business Incubation, Inc., the operator of Naruse's Unagi, said, 'We have endured rising rice prices and kept our prices steady, but this time we may have no choice but to pass on the costs.'
Processed eel also targeted
The cause of his headache is a proposal made last month by the EU to the CITES Secretariat.
European eel — which is classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List — has already been subject to trade restrictions, and the latest EU proposal calls for trade restrictions on the remaining 18 species, including Japanese eel, which is widely consumed in Japan.
The main reasons cited for the proposal were the declining number of Japanese eels and illegal trade of European eels claimed to be other species with a similar appearance.
If more than two-thirds of countries approve the proposal at an international conference starting in late November, countries that export the species will be required to issue permits for each export, including processed products such as kabayaki grilled eel, in principle.
According to the Fisheries Agency, 60,941 tons of eel was distributed domestically last year. Of this, only 52 tons were from domestically produced wild eels, while 44,730 tons, or 70% of the total, were imported primarily from aquaculture operations.
A senior official from the agency expressed concerns that, if the EU's proposal is adopted, 'Additional procedural burdens and rising costs could lead to price hikes or make exporters more cautious, potentially reducing domestic distribution volumes.'
Tough negotiations
On April 16, the EU sent a draft proposal, about 80 pages long, to the Japanese government. The proposal was aimed at gathering opinions from member countries for submission to the CITES Secretariat.
Feeling a sense of crisis, the agency had its staff work during the Golden Week holidays to compile a rebuttal, arguing that 'Japanese eel resources are abundant, and the proposal lacks scientific basis,' and sent it to the EU. On June 19 and 20, Japan held talks with China, South Korea and Taiwan, which farm eels for export to Japan, and agreed to work together to persuade other member countries to reject the proposal.
However, the outlook is not bright. Among the 184 member countries and regions, only a few have a culture of eating eel. Many of the negotiators representing their countries are environmental officials rather than fisheries officials, and proposals based on resource protection tend to be easily approved.
'We expect tough negotiations, but we have no choice but to do our best to persuade other countries in order to protect Japan's food culture,' an agency official said.
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