An international conference on trade in endangered species held a vote

The European Union's proposal that all kinds of eel, including Japanese eel, should be regulated, was rejected, at a meeting held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. An international conference on trade in endangered species held a vote Thursday on the protection of all types of eel.

The EU and others proposed extending similar restrictions to all species. Japan opposed it, fearing prices could surge in the country if it were adopted, since about 70 percent of eels consumed domestically are imported.