Maine
Lincoln County a Growing Force in Maine’s Elver Fishery
Fishermen work collectively to position a fyke web slightly below the falls in Bristol on March 22. Fyke nets have a large mouth that tapers to a funnel to entice the elvers as they head upstream to spawn. (Bisi Cameron Yee picture)
Elver season is winding down as nearly 8,000 kilos of the tiny glassine eels have been pulled from Maine waters, together with the Pemaquid and Medomak rivers in Lincoln County.
The elver fishery is the second Most worthy fishery in Maine regardless of its temporary season, lasting solely 11 weeks from March 22 to June 7. Latest years have seen annual earnings generated by the fishery exceed $20 million. And from a per pound perspective it simply tops lobsters as probably the most profitable fishery within the state, and presumably within the nation.
Excessive demand for the younger eels abroad spiked the value to over $2,800 per pound in 2018. After plummeting to round $500 in 2020 because of the pandemic, costs have recovered and are averaging $2,114 per pound this 12 months, in line with the Maine Division of Marine Assets.
The demand for elvers is pushed by the abroad market the place child eels are grown to dimension in specifically designed aquaculture services to be used in Asian delicacies. As soon as mature, the eels are additionally processed and shipped again to the U.S. the place they’re a preferred dish on sushi menus.
Whereas nonetheless in its infancy, U.S.-based eel aquaculture is poised to be one other issue within the fishery. American Unagi’s Waldoboro facility is shopping for elvers this 12 months. And Cory Hawkes, a supplier with Maine Eel Commerce and Aquaculture, in enterprise since 2011, stated his firm has a long-term objective of elevating eels to dimension as a part of its enterprise mannequin.
With a lot cash at stake, the fishery is carefully regulated to guard the way forward for the useful resource. A quota system was carried out in 2013 with limits set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries, an interstate regulatory physique.
A swipe card system is in place to tally the catch in opposition to the quota in actual time. Whereas there have been violations of the system prior to now, Communications Director Jeff Nichols stated the DMR has been more than happy with the power of the swipe playing cards to make sure the elver inhabitants is protected.
The quota is normally set at 9,688 kilos, however was lowered to 9,334 kilos this 12 months as a result of overfishing in 2021.
The quota is split between individually licensed fishermen and 4 federally acknowledged tribes: The Penobscot Nation, Aroostook Band of Micmacs, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
A contingent of the Passamaquoddy makes an annual pilgrimage from Nice Level and Indian Township, each close to the Canadian border, to fish the Pemaquid Falls Touchdown in Bristol.
“There’s loads of tribal historical past with this river,” stated Amkuwiposohehs “Pos” Bassett. The elver fishery is essential to the Passamaquoddy, a key a part of their livelihood.
Numerous tribe members come early and arrange camp on the Bristol Historic Society’s constructing the place they’ve permission to park and have entry to energy and water. Some begin scouting areas a month forward of time, on the lookout for optimum locations to set their nets, sections of the river with choke factors that drive the circulate of elvers in particular instructions. They usually exit at night time to see how the eels are migrating.
Charles Libby stated that a lot of the tribal fishermen use fyke nets, lengthy nets with wings that information the elvers towards a funnel-shaped part the place they’re trapped. Just a few, like his brother Hunter who’s new to the fishery, use dip nets that are inexpensive, particularly for a first-timer.
Justin Socobasin has fished in Bristol for six years. “I’ve at all times carried out effectively right here so I don’t see any motive to go anyplace else,” he stated. “All my associates are normally right here.”
He fishes with a fyke web set by the touchdown ledge the place the currents are slower. “Dipping’s laborious on the again,” he stated of the one different permitted methodology to catch the elvers. “It’s good when you may simply set your web and go test it when the tide comes again down.”
Zachary Cling stated setting the nets is usually a roll of the cube, making an attempt one place and transferring the online if it’s not productive.
“Not all of the spots catch,” agreed Socobasin.
“It’s a free for all to start with,” Bassett stated. The Passamaquoddy have an inner lottery system, dividing their 1,002 pound quota into five-pound increments. “There’s loads of anxiousness to make the person quota earlier than the tribe totals out.”
Different fishermen are both grandfathered into the fishery or obtain licenses by way of a lottery system out there to Maine residents 15 years of age or older. There’s a cap of 425 licenses for particular person fishermen; in the newest lottery 2,637 people utilized for less than 13 out there licenses.
The long run elver fishermen have quotas primarily based on their historic harvests previous to 2013, however the person quota for newer licensees is often round 4 kilos.
Bob Crocker got here as much as Pemaquid Falls touchdown from Freeport. Crocker has fished from the realm for a few years, courting again to the Nineteen Nineties when costs have been a lot decrease and there have been no quotas. “It’s a great early spot to return to,” he stated.
Crocker, who can be a clammer, known as the elver season “a great little filler” to earn higher cash when the costs for clams are low.
Maine Eel Commerce and Aquaculture is the most important supplier within the state with 4 areas, two in Lincoln County. About half of the state’s elver landings come by way of its hub in Waldoboro. This 12 months additionally they operated a satellite tv for pc facility on the Pemaquid Falls Touchdown to higher serve the tribal fishermen.
Co-owner Cory Hawkes stated for him elver season is about “sleepless nights, infinite cellphone calls and far stress.”
“There’s loads of competitors,” he stated. “With a brief season and a restricted quota, fishermen store round.”
Bills are vital and discovering a seasonal crew is at all times a problem. “They need to have data,” Hawkes stated. “It’s loads of accountability and every bit of this puzzle is equally essential to make all of it occur. If the gel packs aren’t proper and the way the eels are packed (isn’t proper) they’ll die in flight. Each job is essential.”
Hawkes stated they attempt to maintain losses of product beneath 5%, however “it’s all a danger with a perishable merchandise.”
In accordance with Hawkes, the value has been fairly even this 12 months. “I believe the fishermen general are joyful for a median that’s been very reasonable,” he stated.
Whereas some fishermen have held their catch in hopes of costs heading north, Hawkes stated he doesn’t count on to see a major enhance within the remaining few weeks.
Hawkes, together with different house owners and buyers within the dealership, can be a fisherman “All of us have an curiosity in a excessive value,” he stated. He known as fishing the extra profitable facet of the enterprise, however having a supplier who can transport the product is what makes the fishery work.
On the finish of the 2021 elver season the catch topped out at 8,960.97 kilos out of an out there 9,620.70 kilos, with a median value of $1,849 per pound and a complete worth of $16.56 million, in line with information from the Maine DMR.
Preliminary 2022 elver landings by way of 6 p.m. April 11 point out a catch to this point of seven,992 kilos out of 9,334 out there kilos with a median value per pound of $2,114, and a reported worth of $16,894,819 which may place this 12 months’s catch again close to the $20 million mark.