Man charged over seizure of European eels at Holyhead Port

 

A 32-year-old man has been charged following the seizure of a large quantity of European eels at Holyhead Port.

A vehicle was stopped at the port by Border Force in January earlier this year, where numerous boxes containing the fish were recovered.

A joint investigation was launched into the incident between the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team, National Wildlife Crime Unit and CEFAS (Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science).

Kevin Forbes, of Rossa Court, Dungannon in Northern Ireland has since been charged with offences under the Customs and Excise Act, Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018 and the Animal Welfare Act.

He is due to appear before Caernarfon Crown Court on Thursday, November 28th.

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is listed as a critically endangered species on the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) red list, as it is at extremely high risk of extinction.

Eels play a key role in freshwater ecosystems as a high-order predator, helping regulate other species populations and maintaining freshwater biodiversity.

They are also a critical food source for many birds, mammals and large fish.