May 24, 2018 — Maine’s lucrative elver fishery will shut down two weeks early — at 6 a.m. Thursday — due to what state regulators said Wednesday are illegal sales that jeopardize the Department of Marine Resources’ ability to manage the fishery.
A Maine Marine Patrol investigation allegedly revealed that some elver dealers in Maine were paying substantially less per pound in cash for elvers than those that were harvested and accounted for through the state’s new swipe card system, according to a release from the DMR.
In March, the price per pound for baby eels, also known as elvers, hit a record high of $2,700 to $2,800 per pound.
The shutdown comes through emergency rulemaking.
An investigation continues, and charges will be filed against dealers and harvesters who bought and sold elvers without using the state’s swipe card system.
Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News