Elver eels Archives - Saving Seafood

Baby eels remain one of America’s most valuable fish after strong year in Maine

May 30, 2023 — Fishermen in the U.S.’s only commercial-scale fishing industry for valuable baby eels once again had a productive season searching for the tiny fish.

Baby eels, called elvers, are often worth more than $2,000 per pound because of how valuable they are to Asian aquaculture companies. That makes them one of the most valuable fish species in the U.S. They’re raised to maturity so they can be used in Japanese food, some of which is sold in the U.S. in unagi dishes at sushi restaurants.

The elvers have again been worth more than $2,000 per pound at the docks this year, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. The fishermen are limited to a combined quota of a little less than 10,000 pounds per year and were about through it by early May, the department said. The price was a tick below last year’s, but higher than the previous two.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Maine’s commercially harvested marine resources reach historic value

May 12, 2022 — On the heels of a global pandemic, the overall value earned by harvesters in 2021 jumped by more than $365 million to a new historic value, according to data from Maine Department of Marine Resources.

2021 is now a year of historic value for Maine commercial fishermen. Recently released data from the Maine Department of Marine Resources indicates that the overall value earned by harvesters in 2021 jumped by more than $365 million and exceeded the previous overall record of $733,691,455, set in 2016, by $150 million.

The numbers, which reflect the strength of an historic year for lobster and a rebounding elver fishery, reached an all time high at $890,668,873, according to the report now made available. Maine is considered as one of the most important commercial fishing states in the country, because of its lobster fishing industry.

“The hard work of Maine fishermen, aquaculturists and dealers once again resulted in tremendous economic benefit for our state,” said Maine Governor Janet Mills. “On the heels of a global pandemic that has challenged every link in the supply chain, the men and women who harvest, cultivate, process and sell seafood from Maine continue to ensure that the highest quality products find their way to market.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Baby eel value up to pre-pandemic levels despite challenges

April 12, 2022 — Concerns that war in Europe or fickle weather might hold back one of America’s most valuable fisheries appear to have been unfounded.

Baby eels, also called elvers, are one of the most lucrative wild fish species in the U.S. Maine is the only state in the country with a sizeable baby eel fishing industry, and the price for the tiny fish is back up to pre-pandemic levels this spring.

Fishermen are selling the baby eels for $2,110 per pound at docks, the Maine Department of Marine Resources reported Monday. They’ve also already run through more than four-fifths of their quota for the season, which runs from late March to early June.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at ABC News

Harvesters of valuable baby eels hope for a stable 2022

March 9, 2022 — The industry that harvests one of the most valuable fish species in the United States is hoping for a more stable year in 2022 after two years of volatile price swings.

Fishermen in Maine harvest baby eels, called elvers. The elvers are sometimes worth more than $2,000 per pound because they are vitally important for Asian aquaculture companies.

Maine is the only U.S. state with a significant fishery for the eels. Prices have fluctuated wildly since the start of COVID-19 pandemic. They sank to $525 per pound in 2020 and rose to about $1,850 last year.

This year’s season begins March 22 amid another cloud of uncertainty. The season is always dependent on weather conditions and the timing of rivers thawing, because that allows the eels to run and be fished with nets. Unrest in Europe also has the ability to disrupt the international supply chain for seafood, said Darrell Young, co-director of the Maine Elver Fishermen Association.

Read the full story from the Associated Press

Illegal eels: Maine’s elver fishery faces more poaching charges

May 25, 2018 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources decided to shut down the state’s lucrative elver fishery two weeks early, claiming that illegal sales are jeopardizing the agency’s ability to manage the fishery properly.

The DMR announced late Tuesday afternoon that all harvesting operations must halt by 6 a.m. on Thursday, May 24.

Elver dealers and fishermen are required to use an electronic swipe card system that allows regulators to track the fishery in real time. But a Maine Marine Patrol investigation concluded that some dealers are paying less than the going rate — $2,400 per pound, on average — in cash and keeping the transactions off state records.

“The future of this lucrative fishery is now in question,” DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher said in a prepared statement. “We clearly have to consider additional measures to ensure that Maine can remain compliant with [catch limits], that we can continue to protect our state’s valuable marine resources, and that we can hold accountable anyone who chooses to squander the opportunity those resources represent.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Fishermen of baby eels expect high price as stocks dry up

March 12, 2018 — ROCKPORT, Maine — Members of Maine’s baby-eel fishing industry are expecting high prices for the tiny fish this year because of a shortage on the international market, and sushi lovers could end up feeling the pinch.

Maine is the only U.S. state with a significant fishery for baby eels, or elvers. The tiny, translucent eels are sold to Asian aquaculture companies to be raised to maturity for use as food. They’re a key piece of the worldwide supply chain for Japanese dishes such as unagi, and some eventually make it back to the U.S.

The eels sold for about $1,300 per pound at the docks last year, about on par with an ounce of gold, and are already one of the most lucrative fisheries in the country on a per-pound basis. Fishermen in Asia are seeing a poor harvest this year, and European eel fisheries are cracking down on poaching, said state Rep. Jeffrey Pierce, a Dresden Republican and consultant to the elver fishery.

That means Maine’s elvers will be in higher demand, and prices could be higher for consumers.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Washington Post

ASMFC American Eel Board Approves Draft Addendum V for Public Comment

February 8, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s American Eel Management Board (Board) approved American Eel Draft Addendum V for public comment. The Draft Addendum proposes alternative coastwide landings caps, management triggers, state-by-state allocations, and transfer provisions for the yellow eel commercial fishery; as well as alternatives to the current Maine glass eel commercial quota and the aquaculture provisions of the plan. The Board initiated Draft Addendum V in October 2017 in response to concerns over the management program as specified in Addendum IV.

Currently, the yellow eel fishery is managed to an annual coastwide landings cap of 907,671 pounds. The coastwide cap is evaluated against two management triggers: (1) the coastwide cap is exceeded by more than 10% in a given year; or (2) the coastwide cap is exceeded for two consecutive years, regardless of the percent overage. If either of these triggers are tripped, state-by-state quotas will be implemented. 2016 landings exceeded the coastwide cap by less than ten percent. If landings in 2017 exceeded the coastwide cap by any amount, state-by-state quotas would be implemented. The Board expressed concern that the current management triggers do not account for annual fluctuations in landings and the immediate implementation of state-by-state quotas would pose significant administrative challenges. Draft Addendum V proposes alternatives to the coastwide cap, management triggers, state-by-state allocations and transfer provisions to address the Board concerns.

Draft Addendum V proposes alternative quota levels for the Maine glass eel fishery. Specifically, increasing the quota above the 2015-2018 level of 9,688 pounds. The Draft Addendum also proposes changes to the aquaculture provisions of the plan. It includes an option that would allow contiguously bordered states to pool their 200 pound glass eel aquaculture allowance, up to a maximum of 600 pounds.

It is anticipated the majority of states from Maine through Florida will be conducting public hearings on the Draft Addendum. The details of those hearings will be released in a subsequent press release. The Draft Addendum will be available on the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org (under Public Input) this spring. For more information on American eel, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior FMP Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org.

Fishermen to Make Case to Fish for More Baby Eels in Maine

Interstate fishing regulators are considering the possibility of allowing Maine fishermen to catch more valuable baby eels.

February 5, 2018 — Interstate fishing regulators are considering the possibility of allowing Maine fishermen to catch more valuable baby eels.

Fishermen harvest baby eels, called elvers, from rivers and streams in Maine. They are worth more than $1,000 per pound to fishermen because they play a key role in Asian aquaculture operations.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is going to consider the subject of the elver quota on Tuesday.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News & World Report

New York businessman gets 1½ years for dealing in black market eels from Virginia

November 3, 2017 — NORFOLK, Va. — Tommy Zhou knew what they were doing was illegal, according to court documents.

American eel stocks were low as Asian markets rushed to buy more, and strict caps were being imposed on U.S. fishermen.

And, he said, he was willing to spend $200,000 to have them killed if they betrayed him.

Zhou, 42, of New York, was sentenced Friday to 1½ years in prison for illegally trafficking more than $150,000 worth of juvenile American eels, also known as “elvers” or “glass eels.”

Federal guidelines recommend a sentence of at least one year and four months.

Trial Attorney Shane Waller of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division declined to comment, as did Zhou’s attorneys.

According to court documents, Zhou established a seafood distribution company in 2010 in New York. The company, known as Wilson Group Sea Trading LLC, imported and exported seafood.

Read the full story at the Virginian-Pilot

Regulators approve Maine elver quota

October 24, 2017 — NORFOLK, Va. — Interstate fisheries regulators voted last week to approve Maine’s elver landings quota for another year.

Meeting in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 17, the American Eel Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission authorized Maine harvesters to land up to 9,688 pounds of elvers during the upcoming 2018 fishing season. That is the same quota the fishery has operated under for the past three years.

They also initiated an addendum to consider alternative allocations, management triggers and coastwide caps relative to the current management program for both the yellow and glass eel commercial fisheries starting with the 2019 fishing season.

Back in 2014, for the first time, the ASMFC established a quota for Maine’s glass eel (elver) landings. The quota governed the 2015 through 2017 fishing seasons. The regulators agreed to review that quota allocation before the 2018 season.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander