ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 20, 2021
Maine’s baby eel fishermen are hopeful for a more stable season in 2021 as they seek one of the most valuable natural resources in New England. The fishermen seek the eels, called elvers, so they can be sold as seedstock to Asian aquaculture companies. They are then raised to maturity and sold as food, such as sushi. Maine has the only significant fishery for the eels in the U.S., and they sometimes fetch more than $2,000 per pound. The season starts Monday.