Tag Archives: Maine’s elver fishery
Lincoln County a Growing Force in Maine’s Elver Fishery
The elver fishery is the second most valuable fishery in Maine despite its brief season, lasting only 11 weeks from March 22 to June 7. Recent years have seen annual income generated by the fishery exceed $20 million. And from a per pound perspective, it easily tops lobsters as the most lucrative fishery in the state, and possibly in the country. The demand for elvers is driven by the overseas market where baby eels are grown to size in specially designed aquaculture facilities for use in Asian cuisine. Once mature, the eels are also processed and shipped back to the U.S. where they are a popular dish on sushi menus. While still in its infancy, U.S. based eel aquaculture is poised to be another factor in the fishery. photos, >click to read< 15:24
Video – Expectations high for 2016 elver catch, prices
If last year’s prices hold and warm weather persists, it could be another big year for Maine’s elver fishery. The annual elver fishing season in Maine, which is one of only two states that permit the harvesting of baby American eels as they swim upstream into fresh water from the Atlantic Ocean, is due to start at noon Tuesday, March 22. In 2015, the average price Maine elver fishermen were paid for their catch, also called the shore price, reached a record high, as it rose above $2,000 per pound — more than twice as high as it had been the year before. Read the rest here 10:22
Maine’s elver fishery – Smaller catch, bigger value – 2015 haul nets fishermen an average of $2,172 per pound
Maine’s 920 licensed harvesters caught 5,242 pounds of elvers during the 10-week season, which ended May 31. That catch was down significantly from 2014 when 9,688 pounds were landed. The average price per pound for elvers jumped from $874 in 2014 to $2,172, the department said. This year’s quota was set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and will remain unchanged through 2017. The commission is expected to reassess the quota in 2018. Read the rest here 14:19
Lawmakers sink Passamaquoddy bid to exempt tribal fishermen from individual elver catch quotas
Due to concerns about the impact on the population of American eels from Maine’s elver fishery — the only such fishery on the East Coast that nets any significant amount of the newborn eels — Maine, for the first time ever, has imposed individual quotas on elver fishermen. Read more here 08:45
