American Eel: COSEWIC Assessment Acknowledged

Summary#

On December 17, 2025, the government formally acknowledged receipt of a 2012 assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) that found the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) to be Threatened. That acknowledgement starts a 9-month decision period under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) for the federal government to decide what to do next.

What it does#

• Acknowledges COSEWIC’s 2012 reassessment of the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) as Threatened.
• Starts the 9-month clock for the Governor in Council (GIC), on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, to either:
  • add the species to Schedule 1 (the List of wildlife species at risk) under Species at Risk Act (SARA), or
  • decide not to add it, or
  • refer the assessment back to COSEWIC for more information or reconsideration.
• If no decision is made within 9 months, the Minister of the Environment must, by order, amend Schedule 1 to reflect COSEWIC’s assessment.

Who's affected#

• Fishers who target eels, including those harvesting small eels (glass and elver) and larger eels (yellow and silver), could be affected if the species is added to Schedule 1.
• Operators and owners of dams and hydroelectric facilities, because barriers and turbine mortality were noted as threats.
• Conservation groups, scientists, and communities (including Indigenous groups) involved in eel monitoring and recovery planning.
• The Order itself is an administrative step; immediate impacts are limited to starting the decision process. The real effects depend on what the government decides within the 9-month period.

Why it matters#

• Acknowledging the assessment moves the process toward possible legal protections and recovery actions for the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata).
• The 2012 assessment reports substantial declines in eel numbers in many parts of Canada, so a Listing could lead to restrictions on some fisheries and requirements for habitat protection or recovery plans.
• The decision that follows this acknowledgement will determine whether those protections are put in place, or whether more study or a different decision is chosen.