The Maine, U.S.A. elver fishery, which recently surpassed USD 21 million (EUR 17.9 million), was shut down unexpectedly by the Maine Department of Marine Resources after an announcement on 23 May.
The fishery, which closed on 24 May at 6 a.m., was forcibly closed two-weeks early through emergency rulemaking due to illegal sales discovered by the Maine DMR. According to a release, the sales have “jeopardized the department’s ability to manage the fishery.”
“An investigation by the Maine Marine Patrol revealed that some Maine elver dealers were paying a cash amount that was substantially less than the per pound price for elvers that were harvested and accounted for through the state’s swipe card system,” states the release.
The total quota for the state sits at 9,688 pounds, of which 9,030 pounds had been caught so far. The season typically runs until 7 June.
“This is a fishery that stood to net Maine license holders nearly [USD] 24 million this year, and now because of the greed of some dealers and harvesters, I am obligated to cut that opportunity short,” said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher.
The investigation into the illegal sales is ongoing, according to the Maine DMR, and charges will be filed against the dealers and harvesters who participated.
According to the release, the dealers and harvesters were selling elvers without using the state’s established “swipe card” system. The cards, given only to licensed dealers and harvesters, allow the department to track the amount of elvers harvested in the state. By bypassing the swipe cards, the value and weight of the elvers were not recorded, throwing off the Maine DMR’s quota numbers.
“We believe that if the illegal sales had been recorded, the 2018 elver quota would have already been exceeded,” Commissioner Keliher said. “For this reason, an immediate closure of the fishery, done through emergency rulemaking, is necessary to prevent depletion of the elver resource, caused by exceeding the 2018 elver fishing quota.”
Quotas were established on the fishery in 2014, after skyrocketing prices for the juvenile eels led to a series of increasingly high landings, which could have potentially jeopardized the future of the fishery.
Elver fishermen were understandably upset about the news. Jessica Reynolds, a Maine resident and license holder, said she was upset that a few greedy people ruined things for those playing by the rules.
“One, it is my main source of income to help my husband, and two, we as fishermen should be doing what we can to protect the species so that future generations will have the resource,” she said. “It actually kept it so that we didn’t have our house taken away, I was able to catch up on bills.”
While Reynolds said she’d made her quota for this year, the fear is that this latest issue will lead to the shutdown of the fishery.
“I don’t see the state allowing us to continue fishing, if people are going to keep doing illegal stuff. That’s the scary stuff,” she said. “I really hope they sock it to them this year, because seeing what the sentences are for people that have been caught selling illegal eels, it’s like 7 months in jail and a 5,000 dollar fine. What kind of incentive is that to not do it again? Especially if you’ve made millions of dollars.”
With the illegal sales, Keliher said the future of the fishery is in question like it was back in 2014.
“We clearly have to consider additional measures to ensure that Maine can remain compliant with ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission), 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,” he said.
