PORTLAND, Maine — Federal regulators are set to make a recommendation about a new quota for Maine's lucrative baby eel fishery.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's American Eel Management Board is meeting Thursday in Alexandria, Virginia to vote on recommendations for the fishery. Federal officials say the recommendation could range from keeping the status quo to closing the fishery.
Maine's elver fishermen caught about 10,000 pounds of the baby eels against a quota of 11,749 pounds last season. This was the first year in which a quota applied. The state's elver season began April 6 and ended May 31.
Maine elver fishermen's catch topped 18,000 pounds in 2011 and 2012. The market's growth spurred concerns from state and federal regulators about overfishing.