After a barrage of criticism over a plan to transfer baby eel quotas away from longtime licence holders, the federal Fisheries Department is delaying information sessions on the pilot project.
In December, Ottawa announced a plan to redistribute 27 per cent of the total Maritime catch of about 10,000 kilograms of baby eels — known as elvers — from nine commercial licence holders to 120 people who would operate on their own.
Each of the 120 recipients — who have worked for the commercial licence holders — would gain the right to scoop 22 kilograms of the tiny, translucent eels from rivers this spring.
However, fishers have told The Canadian Press they would rather remain employees of the longtime licence holders than be pitted against them and face chaos over how they would store and sell their catch.
The federal Fisheries Department says in an email that the information session planned for Jan. 21 is postponed as the government continues to evaluate comments on the proposal.
The email to the elver fishers says the department is committed to contacting the fishers “as soon as a decision is received” on the future of the fishery.