The snake-like species is under threat from smugglers, the climate crisis and Europe’s appetite for traditional dishes

Ashifa Kassamin Madrid

@ashifa_kSun 12 Mar 2023 06.00 EDT

• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/12/eels-endangered-species-calls-to-off-european-menu

It was billed as a once-in-a-lifetime experience; an exclusive meal created by five of the world’s top chefs in exchange for actor Robert De Niro’s help in promoting Madrid Fusion, a global gastronomy summit. As the cameras clicked and flashbulbs popped, the chefs rolled out a 16-course meal studded with caviar, red prawns and black truffle.

The initiative waswidely applauded.But the inclusion of two dishes featuring eel – a ubiquitous ingredient across much of Europe – sparked consternation in some quarters.

“I was surprised,” said Miguel Clavero Pineda, a senior scientist at Spain’s National Research Council. “It’s like there is no awareness that this is a species on the brink of extinction.”

The ecologist is part of a…