United States - November 12, 2025 The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is urging Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting at CoP20 in Samarkand to support Proposal 35, which would list the American eel (Anguilla rostrata) on CITES Appendix II, ensuring international trade is legal, sustainable, and traceable to prevent overexploitation and illegal trafficking. The American eel, an iconic species native to North America, including the Bronx River in New York City, is now classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List after populations that once filled rivers and coasts from Maine to Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico have fallen to historic lows. “Scientific evidence clearly shows that the American eel meets the criteria for inclusion in CITES Appendix II,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, vice president of international policy for WCS. “This measure is vital to strengthen trade monitoring, aid fisheries management, and ensure the species’ long-term survival. These extraordinary migratory fish face mounting threats, including overfishing, illegal trade, habitat fragmentation from dams, pollution, disease and climate change.” American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, where larvae drift for up to a year before entering rivers as transparent glass eels, later becoming pigmented elvers and then yellow eels that may live for decades in freshwater or estuarine habitats before maturing into silver eels and returning to the sea to spawn once before dying. With Japanese and European eel populations collapsing, demand for American eels—especially glass eels—has surged, with prices exceeding $2,300 per pound and driving illegal, unreported, and unregulated trade. Since 2012, WCS has conducted long-term research on American eels in New York’s Bronx River, capturing more than 1,650 individuals and tagging 531. The studies show eel numbers falling upstream of dams, underscoring the need for habitat restoration and improved fish passage. The program also provides hands-on conservation opportunities for students, interns, and volunteers, linking local river restoration to global freshwater connectivity efforts. Anguillid eels worldwide are declining under similar pressures, and several species are already listed under CITES, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated international management. WCS is calling for decisive, science-based action to conserve the American eel and related anguillid species. “The fate of the American eel reflects the health of our rivers, coasts, and oceans,” said Lieberman. “By supporting Proposal 35, the global community can take a crucial step toward ensuring these remarkable creatures persist for future generations.” WCS’s long connection to the species dates back 100 years, including a 1925 research voyage aboard the Arcturus led by Bronx Zoo naturalist William Beebe, when marine biologist Dr. Marie Fish confirmed that American eels begin life in the Sargasso Sea.