Maine’s 982 commercial fishermen reported landings during the state’s 2016 elver (glass eel) season season netted $13,388,040 in revenue, according to preliminary landings data from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR).
The 2016 elver harvest has the third highest value in the history of the fishery. While the average value this season was $1,435 per pound compared with $2,171 last season, it was the fourth highest on record.
Preliminary landings data indicates that harvesters caught 9,330 pounds of the 9,688 total statewide quota compared with 5,259 pounds harvested last season. According to DMR data, 285 harvesters reached their individual quota in 2016 compared to 104 in 2015.
Wild caught elvers from North America are exported to Asia for eel aquaculture.
source: Maine Department of Marine Resources