Maine officials opened a lottery Monday giving 20 residents a chance to enter the state’s elver fishery before the 2026 season begins.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources began accepting lottery entries at noon Jan. 26. The process will run through 4:30 p.m. Feb. 20. Winners will then have the opportunity to apply for one of the available elver harvesting licenses ahead of the season, which is set to run from March 22 through June 7, or until the statewide quota is reached.
The U.S. elver fishery, which targets juvenile American eels, has existed since the 1970s but expanded significantly in the late 1990s, with Maine at the forefront. Until 2023, nearly all harvested elvers were sold to buyers in Asia, where they were raised to market size and then exported back to the U.S. and other countries. Recently, a small domestic market has been growing.
The commercial fishery is one of Maine’s most valuable on a per-pound basis. In 2023, elvers fetched about $2,009 per pound at the dock, and the total value of elvers landed that year was nearly $19.5 million, making it the second-highest value fishery in the state after lobster, according to state data.
In 2024, however, the average price paid to fishermen declined to about $1,239 per pound, and the elver harvest earned roughly $12.2 million, ranking it fifth among Maine’s commercial fisheries by value.
Under state law, the number of elver licenses is capped at 425. The 20 licenses now available were freed up when their prior holders did not renew over the past two years. New license holders receive a four-pound quota, meaning they may harvest up to four pounds of elvers during the season if they purchase and activate the license.
Lottery entrants must be Maine residents who will be at least 15 years old by the start of the 2026 season and otherwise eligible for an elver license. Each individual may submit up to five entries at $35 per application, with online entries incurring a $2 processing fee. Proceeds help fund eel management and enforcement efforts in the state.
Applications may be submitted online or in person at the Department of Marine Resources offices in Augusta; mailed submissions are not accepted. Department staff will be available during regular business hours, with special arrangements for paper applications on certain days.
All first-time elver license applicants for 2026 must view and certify completion of a handling-practices video as part of the application process.
Winners will be notified after the lottery closes and will have the chance to apply for a license before the season opens in March.
