SOS for Biodiversity: More than 500 chefs mobilized to protect the European eel

More than 90% of Relais & Châteaux properties worldwide have committed to no longer serving eel until its populations recover, an ambitious collective action in the name of biodiversity. 

The initiative, led by the Association's World Culinary Council under the direction of Mauro Colagreco and connected to Ethic Ocean's #EelNoThankYou campaign, comes as concern intensifies over the future of the European eel, a species classified as critically endangered.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the #SOSforBiodiversity initiative reflects both the persistence of the problem and the determination of those seeking solutions. Despite mounting scientific evidence and repeated calls for stronger protections, the future of the eel remains uncertain.  

Through the stories of three Relais & Châteaux chefs from Portugal, France, and Japan, the Association highlights a different path forward, one where gastronomy not only preserves culinary heritage but also helps protect the species and ecosystems on which it depends. 

Chef Gil Fernandes, Fortaleza do Guincho, Portugal

Chef Marc Haeberlin, Auberge de l’Ill, France

Chef Hideaki Matsuo, Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama, Japan