This panel focuses on the socio-economic and cultural significance of American eels. The
discussion covers an overview of eel fisheries, socio-economic uses, international eel markets, dominance of Asian aquaculture, and the role of the American eel for aquaculture seed stock and for the consumption market.
On October 23-25, 2015, the “American Eel Symposium: Future Directions for Science, Law, and Policy” was hosted by the Ocean & Coastal Law Journal (OCLJ) and the Center for Oceans & Coastal Law at the University of Maine School of Law, as well as the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). Organizing partners and financial sponsors were the Sargasso Sea Commission, the Marine & Environmental Law Institute (MELAW) at Dalhousie University, the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.