The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) held the 3^rd Public-Private Council Meeting for Glass Eel Resource Management on October 23 in Busan. The council, established in May, brings together representatives from the government, local municipalities, experts, and industry to discuss management strategies for glass eel resources.

The meeting was convened ahead of the 20^th meeting of Conference of the Parties (COP20) to CITES¹⁾, scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan from November 24 to December 5. Participants focused on developing strategies to prevent the inclusion of Anguilla japonica in CITES Appendix II.

The Korean government has been gathering opinions from industries and experts through the council, formulating scientific evidence, and establishing its position opposing the inclusion of eel species in Appendix II of CITES. In coordination with countries in Northeast Asia that utilize Anguilla japonica for aquaculture, Korea agreed to take joint countermeasures against the listing and secured support from friendly nations. As a result of these diplomatic efforts, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) advisory panel concluded that listing all eel species in Appendix II does not meet the CITES listing criteria.

In particular, the MOF, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent an official diplomatic letter under the Minister's name to all CITES member states on September 30, urging them to support Korea's support through Korean embassies in the respective countries.

During the council meeting, the MOF shared recent developments regarding the proposed CITES listing of ell species and the government's response efforts with industries and experts. The meeting also finalized Korea's strategic approach for the upcoming CITES Conference of the Parties (COP). In addition, a live demonstration was held for the new "Rapid On-site Species Identification Kit," which can distinguish Anguilla japonica within 20 minutes with high accuracy. The kit was developed by the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) and is expected to be commercialized soon.

The European Union (EU) submitted a proposal in June 2025 to list all eel species under CITES Appendix II, citing difficulties in distinguishing between European and non-European species. Consequently, it is expected that this rapid identification technique will serve as a key piece of scientific evidence to counter the proposal.

The MOF has already submitted documentation on the kit to the CITES Secretariat and the FAO advisory panel, and attached the information to the Minister's diplomatic letter to raise international awareness among CITES member states.

During the meeting, participants separately discussed measures such as aquaculture stocking density of glass eels and strategies for resource recovery to ensure the sustainable aquaculture and management²⁾ of Anguilla japonica.