Tag Archives: baby eel or elvers
DFO poised to shake up fishery for tiny eels in ‘devastating’ blow to licence holders
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is poised to impose a major shakeup on the lucrative but problem-plagued Maritime fishery for juvenile eels, stripping most commercial operations of nearly all their quota and handing it to individual fishermen and First Nations. In a letter Thursday, the department proposes that six licence holders, many of which pioneered the industry and slogged through years of low prices before the recent boom, will lose 80 to 90 per cent of the quota they fished before 2022. The remaining three will see cuts of about 60 per cent. “The minister and DFO has taken this fishery, which has provided great-paying jobs and community support for decades, and they’ve basically destroyed it,” said Stanley King, whose company Atlantic Elver Fishery Ltd. will lose 81 per cent of its quota. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:57
Court won’t overturn decision to cut quota from N.S., N.B. elver licence holders
Three judges have delivered another blow to beleaguered commercial groups that fish for lucrative juvenile eels in the Maritimes, agreeing with a lower court ruling that upheld Ottawa’s 2022 decision to transfer a portion of their quota to First Nations without compensation. The Federal Court of Appeal heard arguments in the case last week in Halifax, and emerged with a decision that found the federal fisheries minister had “broad discretion” and had used it reasonably. Tien Nguyen, a pioneer in Canada’s fishery for young eels, also known as elvers, said he had hoped the judges would address the “absolute power” of the fisheries minister to make decisions that have enormous financial impact on licence holders. “It’s just like you build up the business, you struggle with it for a number of years, and when it’s finally successful, the government decided to take it away from you,” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:40
Canada gives Mi’kmaq 14% of lucrative Maritime elver fishery for 2nd year
For a second year, the federal government is giving Mi’kmaw First Nations 14 per cent of the lucrative Maritime fishery for baby eels — or elvers — without compensating commercial licence holders. The transfer implements the Mi’kmaw treaty right to fish for a moderate living, but also sets the stage for further court challenges by commercial elver licence holders. “I’m quite confident that we will be taking legal action based on this again,” said Michel Samson, a lawyer representing Wine Harbour Fisheries. Wine Harbour is one of several licence holders in federal court trying to overturn the 2022 decision, saying it was unfair and rushed. >click to read< 08:59
