WASHINGTON — October 7, 2015 — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that the American eel does not need protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The agency is recommending that harvest levels be monitored and fish passage improved for the long-term stability of the biologically important species.

The announcement follows an in-depth status review of a 2010 petition to list the eel as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Peer reviewed by several federal agencies, the assessment concluded that the eel’s overall population is stable and not in danger of extinction or likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.

Maine is one of two states that still has a commercial harvest for elvers or baby eels.

Read the full story from Maine’s Public Broadcasting Network News