The Value of a Baby Eel

By: LOG STAFF

PORTLAND, ME — Baby eels, called elvers, are harvested so they can be used as seed stock by Asian aquaculture companies and are worth more than $2,000 per pound, making them one of the most valuable fish species in the United States. The fishing season for elvers runs from March 22 through June 7. However, the fishery may be closed earlier if Maine’s quota, established by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), has been fulfilled. The eels are raised to maturity and then used in Japanese food sold in U.S. sushi restaurants in dishes like unagi. Unagi, the Japanese word for freshwater eel, is an elongated fatty fish, rich and bold in flavor.

According to the Maine Department of Marina Resources, the worth of the elvers has once again reached $2,000 per pound when they hit the docks for sale, and fishermen are being limited to 10,000 pounds per year. While the price per pound of the elvers fluctuates, this year it was only slighter cheaper than last year but higher than the previous two years.

The weather has been kind to fishermen this year as they search for the eels, and international demand has kept the fisher- men in a thriving industry. Due to the withering international foreign sources for the elvers, Maine’s eel sources have become increasingly valuable in recent years.

Other than Maine, South Carolina is the only other state in the country with a fishing industry for baby eels, and even then, that state’s inventory is much smaller.

Maine fishermen harvest the elvers in the spring using nets in rivers and streams. Some fishermen target more rural locations, while others harvest in cities like Portland and Bangor. The eels are also harvested by Native American tribes in the state.

Due to the value of the fish, the worldwide industry has faced the threat of poaching for many years. In recent years, Maine adopted new controls to avert illegal elver fishing and

On Board With J.R. Johnson

dealing throughout the state. In addition, federal law enforcement has also targeted illegal eel selling and fishing. But unfortunately, some efforts are bypassed, and illegal dealing still occurs.

A study published earlier this year led by a research team from the University of Exeter discovered that nearly two-fifths of the North American unagi samples that were tested contained European eels, which are banned from importing or exporting.

For the complete study, please visit https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665927122000090.

For more information on the Maine eels and elver fisheries, please visit https://www.maine. gov/dmr/fisheries/commercial/ fisheries-by-species/eels-and-elvers/the-maine-eel-and-elverfisheries.

Letters/Online Comments

RE: Fast Facts: Rare Pod of Killer Whales Spotted with a Special Guest (MAY 12-25)

“Beautiful Whales in there Wonderous Wonder Swimming Free ! Please Keep our Whales Safe and Free for all to see their Beautiful Wonderful Everything !”

—Stephanie Milewsky Rossi

RE: Fast Facts: Rare Pod of Killer Whales Spotted with a Special Guest (MAY 12-25) existing near land. It’s a unique marine environment, and the Sargassum provides an environment for the American eel’s lifecycle to begin and end. First, they’re born there, and after a few decades — they swim back in, spawn and die.

“Having a sister that is heavy involved the world of whales, visit The Whale Museum, San Juan Island. If you aren’t able to go to The Whale Museum then I encourage all to visit their website to follow certain pods of Orcas. Adults and kids alike find it fascinating. Keep up the excellent work! I applaud you!!”

—B. Atkinson

By Log Staff

STATE/NATIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL

“Iditarod on a Boat” Race to Alaska returns June 5

PORT TOWNSEND, WA — Race to Alaska is back for year seven, with 39 teams registered to depart from the Northwest Maritime Center on June 5. No motors or support allowed—the Race to Alaska (R2AK) is about the physical endurance, saltwater know-how, and bulldog tenacity it takes to navigate the 750 cold water miles from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska.

First place wins $10K; second place, a set of actual steak knives. Teams embark on Stage 1, “The Proving Ground,” from Port Townsend, WA, on June 5 at 5:00 a.m.; they have 36 hours to cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca and visit Victoria, BC. June 8 at noon marks the start of Stage 2, “To the Bitter End,” the 710-mile trek from Victoria to Alaska.

This year’s racers include recreational boaters to world-class professional ocean sailors, including a former Rolex Yachtsman of the Year; vessels range from home-built rowing boats to brand-new, purpose-built racing sleds. Human-powered teams in kayaks and rowboats will be jockeying for position with go-fast boats, solo racers, and even those attempting to drag the equivalent of engineless houseboats up the Inside Passage.

“For some, Race to Alaska is about getting the cash,” said Race Boss Jesse Weigel. “But for the majority, whether they end up with a broken boat on a beach or basking in the afterglow in Ketchikan - it’s all about what happens between the start and the end.”

The 2022 removal of one of only two waypoints between Victoria and Ketchikan, Seymour Narrows, gives racers the choice of going up the inside of Vancouver Island or going out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca into the Pacific Ocean—opening up different possibilities as teams endeavor to solve the R2AK puzzle.

The public is invited to come to the Northwest Maritime Center on June 4 to meet the teams and celebrate their impending adventure at the Ruckus—a free block party—and again for the race start at 5 a.m. on June 5 to cheer on the teams, and they embark on Stage 1.

Follow the teams’ progress on our 24-hour tracker, social media streams, and daily content from our media team on R2AK.com.

SkipperScience Partnership Launches Nushagak King Salmon Mapping Project with Bristol Bay Fishermen for the 2023 Season

This summer, boat captains and crews work with BBRSDA, fishery managers, and scientists to document king salmon migration patterns.

Partnership, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA), and the University of Washington are expanding on the groundbreaking SkipperScience citizen science program to help fishery managers and researchers better understand migration patterns of Nushagak River Chinook salmon across both time and space. The program could improve understanding of Chinook salmon escapement by identifying and protecting Chinook migration corridors and help sockeye salmon fishermen with the potential of an earlier opening to the season.

One of Skipper Science’s essential tools is a smartphone app and community-owned database allowing fishermen to log observations from the fishing grounds in real-time.

“Skipper Science is a valuable resource for researchers, managers, and policy-makers. Fishermen participating in the Skipper Science Partnership have demonstrated their ability to translate observations into quality data through the app and dialogues with managers. We are thrilled to be working on projects like the Nushagak King Salmon Mapping Project that shows how the program is working directly with fisheries managers and the scientific community to meaningfully incorporate fishermen’s data and observations into their decision-making.” said Hannah-Marie Garcia, Skipper Science Program Coordinator who works for the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island.

“As a Bristol Bay fisherman impacted by fishing closures due to recent low Chinook returns on the Nushagak, I am proud and grateful to be able to lend a meaningful hand to our fisheries managers as we work together as a Bristol Bay community to allow for as much commercial fishing activity as possible while protecting Chinook returns. SkipperScience gives us a tool to do just that, and I hope that fellow fishermen will join me in rolling up our sleeves and lending a hand here so that we can all come out the other side of this with plentiful Chinook escapement up the Nush and abundant early June fishing time as well,” said Michael Jackson, Bristol Bay fisherman, and BBRSDA board member. The Nushagak King Mapping Project gives Fishermen a chance to be part of the solution, and to put their expertise to work.”

“Conservation of king salmon in the Nushagak district during the (predominantly) sockeye fishery is a key issue in the spotlight after several years of extremely strong sockeye runs and relatively weak king returns. A better understanding of the spatial distribution of kings in the Nushagak district and how that might change across the season is critical. The existing Skipper Science app is a perfect platform for the fleet to provide catch rate data that can enable managers in future years to make decisions on when and where commercial fishing can open while still allowing for adequate Chinook escapement,” said Curry Cunningham, an Assistant Professor with the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.

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