Federal fisheries minister shelves unpopular baby eel quota proposal
Baby eels, or elvers, swim in a plastic bag after being caught near Brewer, ME, on May 25, 2017.Robert F. Bukaty/The Associated Press
Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier has shelved a controversial proposal that would have shifted baby eel quota away from longtime licence holders to their employees.
In December, Ottawa announced a “pilot project” to redistribute 27 per cent of the Maritime catch of about 10,000 kilograms of baby eels — known as elvers — from nine commercial licence holders to 120 people who would operate on their own.
Each of the 120 recipients — who had previously worked for the commercial licence holders — would have gained the right to catch 22 kilograms of the translucent eels in rivers this spring.
But a number of the fishers set to receive the quota spoke out against it, saying they prefer being employees and would feel less safe having to operate on their own.
In a news release today, Lebouthillier says she has listened to feedback and concluded the 2025 elver season “will not include the pilot program.”
Commercial licence holders say they are “relieved” with the decision, though they remain concerned the minister is still moving about half of their quota to Indigenous fishers without providing compensation.