Concerns raised about enforcement in baby eel fishery if licences redistributed

Fishermen in the Maritimes are expressing concerns about the potential impact of a proposal to increase the number of licensed individuals allowed to net baby eels next year. The federal Fisheries Department recently held a meeting to discuss the proposal, during which current license holders raised questions about the feasibility of the changes.

The Fisheries Department is considering redistributing about 28% of the allowable catch of baby eels from nine commercial license holders to create approximately 150 new commercial license holders. Additionally, half of the total catch would be allocated to First Nations fishers. This proposed redistribution has sparked worries among current license holders about their safety and the potential for increased competition on the rivers.

Robert Mark Weldon, a fisherman who works for Atlantic Elver Fishery, expressed concerns about the safety implications of having more people on the rivers during the lucrative baby eel season. Dawn Reiss, who works for Atlantic Canada Eels, questioned enforcement officers at the meeting about how enforcement would change under the proposed pilot project in 2025 and whether there would be enough officers to handle the increased activity.

Enforcement officers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) admitted that the current enforcement climate is challenging, with limited staffing and an increase in illegal fishing activities. Chris Wagner, an enforcement officer, stated that it is unclear how the project would impact enforcement efforts since the number of participants in the fishery is still uncertain. Trevor Lushington, another DFO enforcement officer, described the current situation as “hell,” citing threats made to both fishermen and officers during the elver season.

In addition to concerns about enforcement, the proposed changes also aim to increase access for First Nations fishers. The federal government intends to broaden the distribution of benefits from the elver fishery and increase First Nations’ participation in the regulated fishery. Under the pilot project, licenses would be offered to 120 fishers currently employed by commercial license holders and 30 fishers who catch adult eels.

During the meeting, federal fisheries officials discussed the goal of implementing a “one license holder per river approach” on the approximately 123 rivers where elvers are fished. Overall, the proposed changes have sparked debate and raised important questions about the future of the baby eel fishery in the Maritimes.