FIVE THINGS ABOUT BABY EEL LOT TERY

1 GOOD CATCH

Maine is implementing a new lottery system for licences to fish for baby eels, which are worth more than US$ 1,000 per pound on the worldwide sushi market. Baby eels, called elvers, are a major fishery in Maine, where fishermen sell them to dealers so they can be sent to Asian aquaculture companies to be raised to maturity and used as food.

2 RETIREMENT TRAP

However, industry members and lawmakers have said the fishery needs a way to bring new people into the business because many elver fishermen are nearing retirement and there is no way to get a licence.

3 HOW LOW DO YOU GO?

The Legislature approved a permit lottery system last month. The law will likely be in effect by late October, said Rep. Jeffrey Pierce. The law states the first lottery could be held next year on or before Feb. 15. “At some point you have to ask: How low do you want your licence numbers to go?” Pierce said. “They don’t have to hold a lottery every year, but they do have the ability if they want to.”

4 QUOTA

The Maine elver fishery has about 425 fishermen, and the average age is older than 50. The elver fishing season is every spring and is limited to a strict quota of less than 10,000 pounds for the entire state. Maine fishermen fell about 300 pounds short of their quota this year. The average price per pound was more than $ 1,300, making elvers by far the most valuable fishery on a per- pound basis.

5 YOUTH BID

The value of the fishery is a good reason to get younger fishermen involved, said Darrell Young, co- director of the Maine Elver Fishermen’s Association. “Hopefully this will attract some young kids,” he said. Money from the US$ 35 lottery application fee will fund a study of the eel life cycle. Maine and South Carolina are the only states with fisheries for baby eels.