On Tuesday, regulators made the decision to explore the possibility of increasing the harvest of valuable baby eels from Maine's waterways. However, conservationists are expressing concerns about the declining eel populations and the need for improved protection measures.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate regulatory panel responsible for managing the baby eel fishing industry and other fisheries, unanimously voted to consider raising the current annual quota. For nearly a decade, the quota has been set at slightly less than 10,000 pounds of these tiny eels.
The demand for these baby eels is high, fetching a market price of over $2,000 per pound, particularly due to their value to Asian aquaculture companies. These companies raise the eels to maturity and supply Japanese restaurants worldwide, especially for dishes like kabayaki, which involves skewering and marinating the eels.
The baby eels' significant value is partly due to the decline in foreign sources of the species. American eels are also a cause for concern among conservationists, as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers them to be endangered. However, the U.S. has not yet listed the species for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The IUCN's assessment of the eels indicates that they face various threats contributing to their population decline, including habitat loss, climate change, and the impact of hydropower turbines.
During Maine's fishing season, which occurs in spring, fishermen witnessed an average price of approximately $2,031 per pound for these valuable eels, as reported in state records. This price surpasses that of better-known Maine seafood staples like lobsters and scallops.
