Canada: Concerns raised about enforcement in baby eel fishery if licenses redistributed

HALIFAX — Fishers raised questions today about how federal enforcement officers will cope if a proposal to increase the number of people licensed to net baby eels in the Maritimes goes ahead next year. The concerns emerged during a meeting held by the federal Fisheries Department at which current licence holders heatedly suggested the federal minister hadn't thought through the proposed changes. The Fisheries Department is proposing to redistribute about 28 per cent of the allowable catch of 9,960 kilograms from nine commercial licence holders -- creating about 150 new commercial licence holders -- and providing half of the total catch to First Nations fishers. Robert Mark Weldon, a fisher who works for Atlantic Elver Fishery, said during the meeting he may receive one of the licences but is worried about his safety as the number of people on the rivers seeking the lucrative baby eels increases. Dawn Reiss, who works for commercial licence holder Atlantic Canada Eels, asked ...