The proposal aims to include the species in the List of Wild Species under Special Protection. Scientific reports from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea indicate that the population has plummeted by 80% in recent decades, placing the species in a critical state.

In Tarragona, activists are specifically asking for interventions in the Francolí river to help adult eels reach the sea. They also praised chefs who have stopped serving elvers, calling the traditional consumption of the species unsustainable.