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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 M AY 4 , 2 0 1 5 At the same time, he says, two bills now before the Legislature, which would allow Maine's Wabanaki tribes to administer their elver fi shery more inde- pendently but within quota restrictions, address concerns about state intervention. " e state seems to not want to cooperate with us in the management of glass eels," Banks said. "History has shown the tribes are capable of being the stewards of these resources. It wasn't the tribes that caused the decline of the fi shery and caused the collapse of the ecological conditions of our rivers. e tribes have always made sure they provided for spawning escapement. e original dams built by the colonists didn't allow for escapement, and they decimated the fi sh runs. It's ironic the state wants to control the tribes' access to these resources." Storm clouds on the horizon? In the meantime, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate management body, is thinking about the overall health of the eel stock. An assessment found the American eel population for all life stages depleted due to overfi shing and other human impacts, especially dams, hydroelectric turbines and climate change. e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal to have the American eel listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act; a decision is expected later this year. e assessment prompted the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission last October to impose a reduced quota for 2015-2017. At a recent Maine Elver Fishermen Association meeting, fi shermen opposed the reduction. But they agreed they benefi ted from at least having stability for three years. e Youngs, for example, took a big cut; they now have 60 pounds between them. is season started late due to frigid water, which deters juveniles. With prices starting out at a speculative $2,000, the delay is unfortunate, Young says. "I'll be surprised if we catch our quota," he says. "Most of the eels will run in June." Some fi shermen and dealers say the proposed Endangered Species Act listing is unwarranted. Calling the proposed listing "ludicrous," fi sherman and dealer/exporter Patricia Bryant of Nobleboro, who has been in the elver business since the 1970s, adds, " is species has been around for billions of years. How are you going to possibly overfi sh something that has sur- vived everything from the Ice Age on?" Mitchell Feigenbaum, who runs the Delaware Valley Fish Co. in Portland, the largest exporter of Maine's elvers, considers the quota reductions unavoidable, given federal concerns about eel popula- tions. But "recruitment has been positive and there has been improved fi shery management, dam remov- als and habitat protection established over the past decade," he says, adding he's "cautiously optimistic" the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service won't list the American eel as a threatened species. Feigenbaum, who estimates Maine exports cur- rently represent 10% to 35% of baby eels shipped live to Asia then farmed there, predicts that demand will continue to increase among China's growing middle class. He said there is presently little support among East Coast states for growth of the fi sh- ery. However, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's regulations create room for limited expansion, with provisions allowing Maine to peti- tion for a future increase in its glass eel quota based on conservation improvements. e regulations also spell out conditions under which other states can request limited participation. At the same time, there's movement in Maine to establish an eel farming industry for overseas and domestic sales. At the University of New England in Biddeford, Barry Costa-Pierce is director of the Marine Science Program and a member of the regional Eel Aquaculture Team, a coalition of researchers, fi shermen, European advisors and potential partners in Nova Scotia. He says the prospects for Maine eel farms are excellent. Plans are in the works at UNE and the University of Maine to test farm- ing technologies. Next steps involve obtaining seed money, acquiring equipment, adapting techniques to Maine's climate, and forging market connections, initially in the Northeast and potentially through- out the world as product quality and the technology for shipping live eels improve. "We have the seed stock, the knowledge, the land, water, and labor, and the feeds are available," Costa- Pierce says. " e market is there, that's for sure." Domestically, over 200 tons of eels are imported from Japan and Korea to the Northeast for food consumption. " is is one of the world's most absurd foods," he says of the region's consumption of imported eels. "We export everything we could grow here and we import everything we eat here." L aUr i e S c h r e i be r, a w r i te r ba s e d i n B a s s Ha r bo r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e D i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z 0 5K 10K 15K 20K 25K 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 $0 $400 $800 $1200 $1600 $2000 Pounds landed Price per pound Maine Electrical Alliance Save on your heating and cooling costs with a Mini-Split Heat Pump System! CALL 1-888-666-1947 TO LEARN MORE $500 rebates on qualified systems from Efficiency Maine and another $100 from our Alliance contractors! Some restrictions may apply. S O U R C E : Maine Department of Marine Resources Maine elver landings, 2004–2014

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