Relais & Châteaux’s World Culinary Council members voted to immediately remove eel from their menus in order to prevent the species’ extinction.
The European eel is considered critically endangered and features on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, prompting scientists to recommend suspending fishing for the species.
The association is calling on its 580 hotels and restaurants to join the ban and protect the species.
This effort follows a similar successful approach taken in 2009 to save bluefin tuna stocks, showing the potential impact of collective action from chefs and public mobilisation.
