Ottawa warns it will likely close lucrative baby eel fishery

 By John Chilibeck  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Canada’s most valuable export fishery could be done for the season before it’s even started. The federal fisheries minister has warned she will probably shut the baby eel fishery this spring in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia because her department doesn’t have time to come up with new rules to stop rampant poaching threatening the longterm survival of the species. In a letter sent last week to the 12 baby eel, or elver, licence holders in the Maritimes, Diane Lebouthillier says time is running short and there’s just too much to do ahead of the season, which normally starts in about six weeks, near the end of March or beginning of April. “It is my view that it is not possible to have…

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