French officials said Friday they had broken up a smuggling operation that shipped millions of baby eels to Asia where they are a prized delicacy that can command up to $5,000 euros per kilogram.

The inquiry began in 2017 when customs officers seized nearly 800 kilos of the silvery eels near the southwestern city of Bordeaux destined for China, as well as 200 kilos near Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris, headed for Thailand.

Over the next four years, investigators uncovered a network in France and Spain that exported 46 million tons of the eels -- considered a threatened species since the early 2000s.

"Over the past 30 years the European eel population has plunged by 75 percent, a decline with multiple causes including these illegal activities," France's gendarme police force said in a statement.

They also discovered a money laundering operation spread across several countries including Bulgaria and using shell companies in Ireland and Panama, that processed some 18.5 million euros ($22.4 million).

Nine wholesalers and market brokers in France were charged in 2019, and this year one of the ringleaders, a Spaniard, and directors of a Spanish transportation firm were charged as well.

Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

UN report: Aquaculture linked with harmful algal blooms
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 8, 2021
New analysis of thousands of harmful algae blooms, or HABs, has revealed links between increases in the damage caused by algae blooms and human activities, including aquaculture development. The international study, organized and funded by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, featured several dozen scientists from all over the world. Scientists analyzed the timing and extent of more than 9,500 HABs over the last 33 years. The analysis - published Tuesday in the journal C ... read more