Strasbourg, 18/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament brought greater realism to the proposal to reduce eel catches in the EU when it adopted the report by Albert Jan Maat (EPP-ED, Netherlands) on 16 May. The EP accepted all the amendments approved at the committee stage (see EUROPE 9178) and thereby removed proposed arrangements for closing the fishery for 15 days per month during the eel fishing season. Member States will now have to ensure fishing effort is cut by half. The other amendments allow the addition of measures to: - remove obstacles to the natural migration of eel-fare at certain times (when they leave coastal waters to move inland); - better protect eel-fare (fishing for eel-fare of less than 12 cm is allowed under certain conditions); - ensure an increase in the numbers of eel-fare released (focusing on the problems created by the large-scale export of eel-fare to Asian countries where eel are a delicacy). The EP delayed by a year (to 20 June 2007 at the latest) the deadline for the submission to the European Commission of Member States' eel management plans.