THE EEL IN MOROCCO : A RESOURCE ON THE EDGE?

Morocco is the southern limit of the distribution of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and ocean migration of leptocephalii is probably faster in this southern end of the distribution. Official FAO fisheries statistics would lead us to believe that there has been moderate exploitation in Morocco for decades. In fact, this is not the case when we consider the commercial network driven by a dynamic Spanish market which indicates considerable exploitation of these eel populations. Based on two rapid surveys conducted in 1987 and 2003, this paper aims at initiating a discussion on the status and the future of this species in Morocco.