Japanese people love to eat eel on day of the ox in midsummer, but..

It seems people in several countries eat eel, that long creature in fresh water. But Japanese eat eel most in quantities in the world. And on day of the ox in midsummer(late July or early August), Japanese especially love to eat eel. Most of the cheap gyu-don(beef on rice) franchise offer eel on rice during hot summer. Eel is considered rich in nutrition that is superbly beneficial to beat Japan's summer heat.

Eel is considered gourmet in Japan so it is usually expensive. But at beef on rice franchise, eel on rice is offered in reasonable price, so consumption of eel may be rising. On the other hand, depletion of eel population has recently become a big issue in Japan, so big that actually price of eel is rising. And if appropriate measure were not taken, eel would face extinction in coming decades.

Tuna also has an issue of shrinking population, but as sushi has become popular worldwid, protection of tuna is the global concern. That leads to global convention or treaty to make quota on tuna catch to protect tuna population. These measure may not be enough, but at least certain measures are taken to protect tuna. But eel is not so popular in the world, so there is no effective measure to protect eel population.

Most of the eel that Japanese consume are cultivated eel, but I heard that there were wild eels in Kyoto's main river of Kamo river in a couple of generation ago. It may be still swimming in Kamo river, but I have never seen them. If wild eel could be seen again more oftern in Kamo river, that would be lovely.

Eel on rice at gyu-don franchise, at hefty price of 680 yen

Kamo river runs in Kyoto, where wild eel may be swimming