Elver fishing license

Young said poaching still will be an issue because some unscrupulous licensed fishermen will sell poached elvers in exchange for a cut of the proceeds, but it will make it harder to sell poached eels. A law passed last year that prohibited cash transactions and required dealers to pay for elvers with checks also has helped to reduce poaching and to improve the ability of state and federal officials to keep track of elver income.

The Portland Press Herald has reported that DMR, Maine Revenue Services and Maine Department of Health and Human Services are cooperating in an investigation of elver fishermen suspected of not reporting their fishing income, but attempts this week to confirm the investigation were unsuccessful.

As for the mandate to reduce elver landings next spring by percent, Nichols said DMR has not devised a plan for how it will be done. He declined to speculate what options the department may consider but said that DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher plans to schedule public meetings with elver fishermen to discuss ideas. Several states including Maine also have fisheries for adult eels. A news reporter in coastal Maine for more than 20 years, Bill Trotter writes about how the Atlantic Ocean and the state's iconic coastline help to shape the lives of coastal Maine residents and visitors More by Bill Trotter.

Thank you to our subscribers for sustaining local news in Maine! I support local news. The BDN has served Maine for over years. Questions about this Service? Contact agency at: or Email: dmr. Online Elver Lottery Application. Eligibility for the Elver License Lottery In order to be eligible for the elver license lottery, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: Be at least 15 years of age at the start of the elver season for the calendar year in which the lottery is held; and Be a resident of the State of Maine, OR a resident of a state that allows Maine residents to purchase an elver license and fish for elvers in that state; and Be eligible to purchase a license in the calendar year in which the lottery is held, if authorized, and not have had their right to obtain a license suspended.

Elver fishing quotas. The commissioner may adopt rules to establish, implement and administer an elver individual fishing quota system in order to ensure that the elver fishery annual landings do not exceed the overall annual quota established by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Except as provided in section L , a person issued a license under this section or section A, subsection 3, paragraph E, E-1, F or G may not take, possess or sell elvers in excess of the weight quota allocated to that person under the quota system. The rules must:. Establish an overall annual quota for the State; [PL , c.

Establish the amount of the overall annual quota under paragraph A that is allocated to persons licensed under this section and specify a formula to establish individual quotas for persons licensed under this section. The formula may take into account the amount of elvers a person licensed under this section lawfully harvested in previous seasons based on final harvesting reports.

The rules must specify the date by which harvester reports are considered final for the purpose of determining individual quotas; and [PL , c. Provide, in accordance with section B , that If the overage exceeds the overall annual quota allocated to persons licensed under this section for the following year, the overage must be deducted from the overall annual quota allocated to persons licensed under this section in subsequent years until the entire overage has been accounted for.

The commissioner may adopt or amend rules on an emergency basis if immediate action is necessary to establish and implement the elver individual fishing quota in advance of the beginning of the elver fishing season. License fee. Fees for elver fishing licenses are:. License surcharge. In addition to the license fee established in subsection 4-A , the commissioner shall assess a surcharge on each license issued under this section as follows:.

The surcharge fees collected under this subsection must be deposited in the Eel and Elver Management Fund established under section D. A person issued a license under this section may utilize one elver fyke net, one Sheldon eel trap or one dip net to fish for or take elvers without paying the fee required for a first net or trap pursuant to section B.

A license issued under this section must identify the number and types of nets that the license holder may use pursuant to this section , section B and section B. Possession of elvers. The holder of an elver fishing license may possess elvers only during the open season established in section and for up to 6 hours beyond the end of the open season.

Minimum age. A person who is under 15 years of age may not fish for or take elvers. Nonresident licenses; reciprocity with other states.