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Baby Eel Fishing
FILE - Darrell Young and his son, Dustin, set up a fyke net to capture baby eels migrating upstream on the Penobscot River in Brewer, Maine, May 15, 2021. Fishermen who harvest one of the most valuable marine species in the country hoped to see a bump in quota in 2025, but regulators said Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, the tight restrictions on the baby eel fishery are likely to stay the same. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Fishing regulators say no to catching more of this most valuable species

Fishermen who harvest one of the most valuable marine species in the country won't get the chance to catch any more next year than they did last

By PATRICK WHITTLE
Published - Feb 05, 2024, 05:48 PM ET
Last Updated - Feb 05, 2024, 05:48 PM EST

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fishermen who harvest one of the most valuable marine species in the U.S. hoped for permission to catch more baby eels next year, but regulators said Monday the tight restrictions that have been in place for several years are likely to stay the same.

The tiny baby eels, which are often worth more than $2,000 per pound, are also called elvers. They are a critically important link in the worldwide supply chain for Japanese food. They are harvested from rivers and streams in Maine, sold to aquaculture companies and raised to maturity, then resold as food.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission needs to set a new quota for next year and beyond because the current management plan is expiring. The commission said Monday it's only considering one option for next year's limit and that is a little less than 10,000 pounds (4,535 kilograms), the same the level fishermen have been allowed to catch for several years.

The commission is under pressure from fishermen who want the quota raised and from environmentalists who would like to see it reduced.

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