April 26, 2022 — The season for baby eels known as elvers is close to winding down, with dealers buying more than 9,200 pounds valued at an average price per pound of $2,161.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources, which released the harvest numbers, said the price per-pound was a 20% increase over last year, when elvers sold for $1,800 a pound.

The average per pound value this year has also exceeded $2,000 per pound for only the fourth time in the history of the fishery, the Department of Marine Resources said.

Most of the elvers are sold to Asian aquaculture companies, which use them as seed stock so they can raise the eels to maturity. They’ll eventually be used in Japanese dishes and some will return to the United States for use in sushi restaurants.

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