People in Japan may no longer be able to eat a favorite delicacy.

The International Union f
The listing has no legal basis and there will be no trade controls immediately placed on eels, but that could change.

The list is used by experts in considering the need for trade restrictions under the Washington Convention.

The Switzerland-based IUCN cited overfishing and habitat loss as key factors in reducing eel populations in Japan.
or Conservation of Nature today added the Japanese eel to its red list of threatened species.

Grilled eel is particularly popular, especially in summer when it’s believed to fortify people against the heat.

The IUCN designation of endangered is one rank above vulnerable and means the species faces a “very high risk of extinction in the wild.”