Also for Christmas 2024, the starred chef Mauro Colagreco renews his appeal: “no more eel on the menus”, if we want to save this species from extinction
As Christmas approaches, a period in which theeel is traditionally the protagonist of tables in many Italian regions, attention is once again drawn to the serious risks that this species is facing.
The European eel (Eel eel) is included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List as species in critical danger of extinction. A decline caused by factors such as intensive fishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change.
European eels face numerous obstacles in their life cycle: from dams that prevent their migration to polluted rivers that compromise their survival. Over the last twenty years, their population has decreased by over 90%, a fact that underlines the urgency of targeted interventions to avoid their definitive disappearance.
And yet we continue to fish and eat it, especially at Christmas!
Chef Colagreco’s new appeal: “No to eel on menus”
The chef Mauro Colagreco, three Michelin stars and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversityhas also launched its campaign to save the eel for Christmas 2024.
Through a video, the well-known chef reiterated his appeal not to include eel in Christmas menus.
We are at the point of losing it all over the world. (….) If we continue to eat it as we are eating it now, in 10 years we will no longer have eels.
Chef Colagreco hopes that this campaign can contribute not only to the repopulation of the eel, but also to guarantee the possibility of “processing” it in the future, that is, continuing to use it in restaurants when it is out of danger. However, let’s try to grasp the positive aspects of this campaign, considering that it comes from a chef and not from an animal rights association.
@ilgusto.it“No to eel on menus”: chef #Colagreco relaunches his campaign Mauro Colagreco, #chef of the 3 Michelin star restaurant #Mirazur in #Menton, one year later, with Christmas approaching, relaunches his appeal to safeguard the #eel. The animal is included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, categorized as a critically endangered species. “We are at the point of losing it all over the world,” reiterates Colagreco, #UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, who, like other haute cuisine chefs, has removed it from the menu. “The reason for the no is not to work it anymore so that we can work it tomorrow. If we continue like this, in 10 years we will no longer have an eel in our restaurants.” The video by Daniele Alberti and Andrea Lattanzi on #ilGusto.it♬ original sound – ilGusto.it
Chefs on the front line for biodiversity
Colagreco is among the most authoritative exponents of the awareness movement started by the World Culinary Council of Relais & Châteaux. Already last year, the 21 chefs of the Council had voted unanimously to remove European eel from their menus, a commitment that also involved the other 580 hotels and restaurants in the network.
The decision to exclude eel from menus was made in collaboration with the NGO Ethic Ocean, which underlines the importance of stopping fishing for this species to protect biodiversity.
Colagreco is therefore not alone in this battle. Many haute cuisine chefs have embraced the cause, demonstrating how gastronomy can play a crucial role in the conservation of endangered species. Their initiative also aims to stimulate concrete political action, asking European ministers to take decisive measures to protect eels.
A Christmas without eels
The eel today represents an emblematic case of how indiscriminate consumption can bring a species to the brink of extinction. Choosing sustainable alternatives during the holidays (but also throughout the rest of the year) is not only a gesture of respect towards nature, but also an opportunity to reflect on our environmental impact.
Then consider that in the future we could find it on the market cultured eel meat which has already been created in the laboratory by the startup Forsea Foods, starting from embryonic stem cells. This method allows you to create meat without resorting to traditional fishing, thus reducing the pressure on a species already at critical risk.
The company plans to make the product available within two years, at competitive prices. It will be interesting to see if this innovation can somehow change the fate of eels, which, if nothing is done, risk disappearing completely.
We hope that in the future the situation of tuna and salmon (to give two other examples of fish at risk) will also get as much attention.
