arrests26) for illegal fishing of elvers in Nova Scotia since early March)

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

HALIFAX — The federal Fisheries Department says it has arrested 26 people since March 6 for illegally fishing baby eels in southwestern Nova Scotia.

The department says that figure includes an unspecified number of arrests over the weekend in the Hubbards, N.S., area.

Officials say the individuals are under investigation for infractions related to the illegal harvesting of elvers, also known as baby eels, but they did not say whether anyone had been charged.

Fisheries officers have also seized six vehicles, seven fyke nets, 59 dip nets, elver fishing equipment, one firearm and about 6.54 kilograms of live elvers, which were released into the water.

The department says more than 80 charges were laid in relation to illegal elver fishing in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in 2023.

Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier closed the 2024 fishery on March 11, saying past confrontations indicated an “immediate threat” to public safety and management of the fishery.

The tiny eels are typically sold live to aquaculture operations in China and Japan, where they are grown for food, and in 2022 prices reached as high as $5,000 per kilogram. The fishery is worth about $45 million annually, according to the industry.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2024.

The Canadian Press