I’m trying to understand WHY it’s illegal to have them, and why someone would value them so highly. Are they a delicacy? Are they used in Chinese medicine? They’re way too expensive for bait so it can’t be that.
Is the phrase “illegal eel” all right with the AP? After all, how do the eels feel about being branded “illegal”?
He was hoping to become a meellionaire.
“Can I get me an eel license?”
“baby eels without a license”
I need a license for my pet eel, “Eric”.
What is the rationale for having a law against eel possession?
There are Eels in my hovercraft ping!
Don’t know much about eels, but if they are $2,000 dollar a lb. and they are edible, Michelle Obama would be serving them at the White House.
Can't we all just agree they deserve a path to citizenship?
Per the Maine.gov website:
The elver fishery is relatively recent, having begun in the early 1970’s to 1978 and recommenced in the early 1990’s. The fishery was nonexistent from 1979 to the early 1990’s due to a collapse in market demand for elvers. In recent years, market demand has increased dramatically. Elvers are highly valued in the far east (Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea) where they are cultured and reared to adult size for the food fish market. Due to recent intense market demand, elvers have now become the most valuable marine resource in terms of price per pound which varies from $25 to $350. The fishing season for elvers is restricted to March 22 through May 31. Harvest methods are restricted to hand dip net and fyke nets with no more than two fyke nets allowed per license holder, depending on the license holder’s history. Concerns about elver fishing relate to impacts of fyke nets on other species migrating and spawning (smelt, alewives, trout and salmon) in Maine rivers, potential over harvest of eels, and the significance of eels to the ecosystem. Legislation passed in 2006 eliminated new entry into the fishery via the elver lottery. Currently an elver fishing license may be issued only to an individual who possessed an elver fishing license in the previous calendar year
My first question that popped into my head, was, “Yeah, but what’s the street valude?” $2,000/lb., wow. I imagine they are now going to be served at the White House on a fresh bed of arugula...
Next question— are these any relation to the Keebler elvers of Pennsylvania? ;-)