Did lack of spawners cause the collapse of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla?

Since the 1980s, a 90% decline in recruitment of European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), has occurred across most of Europe. Whether the continental stock has equallydeclin ed is uncertain. This studyco mpiles available landings statistics since the beginning of the 20th century and identifies trends over time and space, using a statistical model that takes varying levels of reporting into account. Landings in the pre-1940s reached over 40 000 tonnes yr)1, declined during World War II, rose to a peak of 40 000 tonnes yr)1 in the 1960s (coincident with a peak in re-stocking) and dropped to an all time low of