Oceans North is expressing disappointment in a recent decision by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to increase the total allowable catch for elvers in the Scotia-Fundy region by 22 per cent for the 2026 season.

“While recent regulations on the possession and export of elvers are a positive step, there are still concerns over how this fishery is being monitored and managed,” says Katie Schleit, Oceans North’s Fisheries Director. “The stock is not increasing, there is uncertainty around the science, and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing remains an issue. In light of this, we question whether an increase of this size can be justified or sustained.”

Oceans North is a member of the Scotia-Fundy Region Elver Advisory Committee. The options that were originally presented to the committee for feedback included no increase, a 5 per cent increase, and a 10 per cent increase, to reflect varying levels of risk tolerance and management flexibility. Oceans North recommended that the catch not be increased.

Until recently, American eels were being considered for listing under the Species at Risk Act (elvers are juvenile American eels). Besides fishing, their populations face other threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, and have declined significantly from historic levels.

Last December, following almost a decade of waiting, DFO decided not to list them. It chose instead to manage eels under the Fisheries Act, which requires that DFO develop a workplan on sustainable management measures that will be taken instead of listing. This plan has not been released publicly and it’s unclear how, or if, the plan was considered in this decision.

Around the same time, Canada also voted against a proposal to list eels under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species that would have provided more stringent trade regulations globally to prevent eel smuggling. The illegal eel trade is estimated at $4.8 billion, and Canada has been identified as a major hub.

“Recent choices by Canada and DFO make sustainable management of our elver fishery all the more important,” says John Couture, Oceans North’s Senior Fisheries Advisor. “Unfortunately, today’s decision sends the wrong message.”