April 2, 2019 — With the onset of spring, many a young man’s fancy may turn to love, but in Maine it’s elvers that get the juices flowing.
With ice still in many ponds and rivers, though, Maine has yet to see its first big run of the tiny moneymakers.
The fishing season opened on March 22 and, by Saturday evening, dealer reports to the Department of Marine Resources suggested that the juvenile eels that were the source of Maine’s second most valuable fishery last year were still scarce. The shortage of elvers has apparently failed to drive up the price that dealers were paying fishermen to the $2,800-per-pound level seen last year, at least not yet.
Maine elver harvesters fish under a statewide quota of 9,688 pounds imposed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Of that, just over 7,566 pounds are allocated to harvesters licensed by DMR. The balance is allocated among Maine’s four federally recognized Indian tribes: the Aroostook Band of Micmac; the Houlton Band of Maliseet; the Passamaquoddy Tribe; and the Penobscot Nation.
All harvesters, whether licensed by DMR or by one of the tribal governments, are required to sell their landings to state-licensed dealers and those dealers are required to report their purchases electronically to DMR on a daily basis.
As of 6 p.m. Saturday, dealers reported buying a total of just over 230 pounds with a reported value of $369,321 — an average price of $1,606 per pound.