In an effort to avoid a repeat of last spring's turf war with state fisheries regulators over the harvesting of translucent baby eels, Passamaquoddy tribal chiefs at Indian Township and Sipayik in Washington County are proposing joint management with the state of the lucrative elver fishery.
Last spring, elver fishermen were getting prices of between USD 1,700 (EUR 1,255) (EUR 1,476) per pound and the fishery's estimated USD 38 million (EUR 28 million) value in 2012 made it the second most-lucrative fishery after lobsters.
As reported by The Quoddy Tides, Passamaquoddy Chiefs Clayton Cleaves of Sipayik and Joseph Socobasin of Indian Township presented a letter outlining the tribe's proposal to Gov. Paul LePage at a 6 January meeting in Augusta.
