What is being done to protect the American eel?
Commercial and recreational eel fishing has been prohibited in Ontario since 2004. In Quebec, the fishery is regulated through fishing seasons, the number of permits, and the gear that is permitted. Stocking projects were initiated in the early years of the first decade of the 21st century and intensified in 2005 and 2006. In June 2008, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Power Generation announced an action plan for the recovery of the American eel in the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Although the American eel has not been added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk (Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA)), it was designated a species of Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in April 2006. A coordinated American eel management plan is being prepared by the Canadian Eel Working Group (CEWG). One of the short-term goals of the plan is to reduce eel mortality by 50% by 2
