June 1, 2015 — BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Prices for tiny glass eels caught in river inlets along the Maine coast soared to record levels this year because a slow season resulted in reduced catch, fishermen and dealers say.
The baby eels called elvers sold for $2,500 or more per pound at times this season due to low supply, fishermen and dealers say, beating the old record of $1,868.73 in 2012. This year’s average price, which the state has not yet calculated, seems sure to dwarf last year’s and possibly eclipse 2012, fishermen said.
Dealers sell elvers overseas as seed stock for Asian aquaculture companies that raise them to maturity and sell them as food. This year’s season, which began March 22, closed on Sunday.
State regulators say fishermen failed to reach the maximum catch of 9,688 pounds this year. State Rep. Jeffrey Pierce of Dresden, who is an adviser to the Maine Elver Fishermen’s Association, said fishermen had only caught about 5,000 pounds as of late May.
“Everything was super late because of the harsh winter and the lack of rain. It was a frustrating year,” Pierce said. “There are guys who have caught their quota and are very happy, but it’s extremely difficult.”
Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News and World Report