Eel stocks are in such bad shape that fisheries minister Gerda Verburg has approved a ban on eel fishing in October, although the original plan was for a two-month ban.

The minister has also set aside €700,000 to compensate fishermen for lost income. October is their busiest month.
At the same time, she wants eel fishermen to agree to help 50 tonnes of older eels over damns and other barriers so that they can return to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce.
The government has also allocated €200m to make damns, weirs and sluices easier for eels to negotiate.