Local fishing closure improved European eel stock on the Swedish west coast

Published: 23 October 2025

The number of eels leaving the Swedish west coast to spawn in the Sargasso Sea has increased since eel fishing was closed in 2012. This is shown in a new study from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), which for the first time evaluates the effects of the closure.

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Contact

Torbjörn Säterberg, researcher
Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of coastal research, SLU
torbjorn.saterberg@slu.se, +46(0)10-478 41 61

Rob van Gemert, researcher
Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, SLU
rob.van.gemert@slu.se, +46(0)10-478 42 11