A research team from Central University and National Taiwan University announced on the 11th that they had conducted DNA analysis of kabayaki and other eel products sold in 11 countries and regions around the world and found that more than 99% of the eels were from three species at risk of extinction: the American eel, the Japanese eel, and the European eel, which are widely eaten but are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Eel trade worldwide is not well tracked. The study could provide clues to understanding the unknown volume of eels being distributed. The team used genetic data to identify the species of 282 processed and fresh eels purchased between 2023 and 2025 in 26 cities in 11 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, the United States, and Oceania. The samples included 154 American eels, 120 Japanese eels, four European eels, and one Indonesian shortfin eel, while three could not be analyzed.
Based on these results, and estimating the global distribution ratio from each country's production volume, trade statistics, and market size, the results show that American eels account for 75.3%, Japanese eels 18.0%, and European eels 6.7%. By country of distribution, China accounts for the largest share at about 60%, followed by Japan at about 19%, with East Asia appearing to account for the majority.
by MagazineKey4532