Special spring edition
Ice-out photos, big night for amphibian migration, elvers season underway, Acadia Vendors readies outdoor market, ice in park still dangerous
Which day was “ice-out” on MDI?
SOMESVILLE, March 26, 2021 - Ice-out occurred this week on MD’s largest lake, but was it Thursday or Friday?
Folks can get awfully obsessive about such weighty matters.
Here is the state of Maine’s definition:
“Ice-out is defined for this webpage as when you can navigate unimpeded from one end of the water body to the other. There may still be ice in coves or along the shoreline in some areas, but when a person can traverse the entire waterbody without being stopped by ice floes we will consider the ice to be out.”
The state has a web page to keep score at https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/water_activities/boating/ice_out_dates.shtml.
QSJ votes for Thursday, March 25 as “ice-out” on Long Pond in 2021.
Elvers fishermen hoping for a recovery
SOMESVILLE - The season started this week for those with permits to harvest elvers - baby eels. Maine and South Carolina are the only two states on the East Coast which allow fishing of elvers.
Last May, shortly after I launched The Quietside Journal, I wrote about this esoteric craft, so forgive me for cribbing from my own article.
One of the biggest sting operations in U.S. marine enforcement history reached its denouement three years ago when the Ellsworth "elvers kingpin" was convicted.
But more on that later.
First, I want to talk about eels and seasonal touch points - of having spent one full year in Maine, staying through the scourge only to realize the calendrical cycle and the unexpected beauty of winter here which brought such joy. Today, I saw the first pine siskin at the bird feeder and thought to myself, “I hope they don’t come in bunches.” One at a time please. I’m coming to adopt the Maine sensibility.
Back to elvers …
I am not a big sushi fan so whenever I'm at a Japanese restaurant I default to grilled unagi (above photo), or eel, which tastes a little like smoky teriyaki salmon . I love this dish even though it's on the pricey side. I also love the way the Chinese braise eel and smother it with garlic and hot oil.
Like many folks not from these parts I never knew about the strong DownEast connection with eels until last year, that Maine is one of the world's leading sources for elvers - baby eels - which are sold to aqua farms in Asia to raise adult eels for markets in China. Elvers were sold on the black market for $3,000 a pound or more before the pandemic.
That got me thinking about what a temptation it must be with so many folks out of work to set up a poaching operation to earn some quick cash.
All you need is a fyke net, lanterns and a tidal stream. Best thing is you do this at night when elvers swim upstream to avoid natural predators during the day. Seems to me these are perfect ingredients made for poaching.
The marine enforcement authorities must be worried about this as well. Beginning in 2011 they began to keep a close eye as prices skyrocketed. Two things converged to spike the demand. The Europeans overfished eels to the point of wiping out 90 percent of the population, forcing them to halt all fishing. Japan, meanwhile, got hit with an earthquake and tsunami which shattered its aqua farm infrastructure. The price per pound for elvers went from $185 in 2010 to $1,900 a pound two years later.
In the years since, eel has become the second only to lobster in generating revenues for Maine, approaching $20 million a year. Each year the state holds a lottery to add a handful of newcomers to its 1,000 licensed fishermen. Mount Desert has more than 20 licensees, the newest being SW Harbor committeeman Cory Pettegrow who won one in February 2020. This year the state did not hold a lottery because no permit holder died.
Maine also imposes a limit of just under 10,000 pounds for the entire population of permit holders.
Back to the anniversary ...
On May 3, 2018, Bill Sheldon was sentenced to serve six months in prison for trafficking more than $500,000 in elvers in the Ellsworth area. In all 21 persons were arrested by the Feds, including 12 Maine residents. William Sheldon was actually a Maine Department of Marine Resources employee with a degree in wildlife management in the 70s when he developed techniques for elvers fishing and for shipment. He taught numerous locals how best to fish these transparent worm-like morsels. Many of his students went on to earn a decent living as elvers prices rivaled that of the bluefin tuna - another high demand fish for the Japanese markets.
When he was busted in his shop in Ellsworth he was brokering one third of all elvers inventory shipped to Asia from Maine. Sheldon claims that he bought a small batch of 267 pounds of elvers from poachers from South Carolina whom he thought had fished the baby eels in Maine waters. He served six months in prison in New Hampshire.
Was it an appropriately light sentence given that he helped create the second largest seafood market in the state - one the state is still promulgating despite environmental concerns?
There is the persistent pressure by the likes of organizations like Seafood Watch and Greenpeace to end all elvers fishing. Could it be that even the annual limit isn't enough to prevent the elvers population from going to zero, as was what essentially happened in Europe?
The pandemic dealt the Maine elvers market a huge blow as prices plummeted because China stopped buying them. The season started last year at $500 a pound.
This year, Herb Bailey, a dealer in Bowdoinham, is offering $1,000 a pound, an improvement but nothing close to $3,000 a pound.
Atlantic Monthly did a short documentary on Maine elvers fishing which is worth watching elvers video.
Maine’s ‘Big Night’ - helping frogs, salamanders cross the road
SOMESVILLE - Today’s rain and warm weather makes for perfect conditions for the annual migration of amphibians as they seek water sources for the coming warm seasons.
Across Maine thousands of volunteers will participate in helping frogs and salamanders many of which would be run over. QSJ learned about this only this week from naturalists more in tune with such endeavors.
“Welcome to our "Big Night" project, where local citizens head out into the night on the first warm rainy nights of spring to collect data on frogs and salamanders while saving them from an almost certain death as they cross the road,” posted Greg LeClair on the bignightmaine Facebook page. “These 'big nights' are important; THOUSANDS of frogs and salamanders migrate on the these nights, which means many of them could be lost to vehicle impacts!”
Billy Helprin, director of the Somes-Meynell Sanctuary in Somesville, recommended wearing reflective gear and headlamps, using latex gloves, and carrying frogs on a flat snow shovel across the road.
SWH outdoor market hoping to swing into full action this spring
SOUTHWEST HARBOR - Two fishermen are about to open one of the largest land-based businesses in town.
Acadia Vendors Market is the completion of a multi-year project which hoisted a test run a year ago allowing pandemic-strapped fishermen and others to sell directly to consumers driving by on Rt. 102, one of the busiest roads on MDI. That’s when QSJ bought scallops practically off the boat.
David Horner and Holly Masterson are well-know Quietside denizens. They have been fishing together for 17 years on David’s two boats: A Dixon 45 scallop boat/dragger and a 35-foot Mitchell Cove lobster boat.
“Before that I worked for him (David) at our family’s fish market in Manset when I was in high school!” Masterson said.
Food trucks, arts and craftsmen, antique and flea market vendors, produce and meat sellers, and, of course, fresh seafood vendors will populate the 4-acre market.
“It’s a great way for lots of folks to sell things,” David said. “It would cost them $30 to $40,000 to open a store in Bar Harbor.” Acadia Vendors is offering a six-weekend package for $250 for parking spots.
Here is its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/acadiavendorsmarket. And website https://www.acadiavendors.com/
Family of dead hiker seeks more information; park officials mum
BAR HARBOR - Spring is a treacherous season in Acadia National Park as evidenced by last week’s deaths of two hikers.
Warm temperatures can be deceptive as ice on the trails may cause slippery conditions.
A cousin of victim Wayne Beckford is seeking more information about the incident. “It’s my understanding as the family members, Waynie, because we called him Waynie, he doesn’t know how to hike. They are still waiting for confirmation on what could’ve happened,” said Pauline Leslie.
Here is a report by the Boston CBS affiliate: https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/03/23/wayne-beckford-cassandra-caceres-die-hiking-acadia-national-park-maine/
Park officials have released very little information, saying the case is under investigation.
Among the questions:
Why did Beckford, 28, and his girl friend Kassandra Caceres, 30, both of Rutland, Mass., both fall to their deaths. Were they tethered? Did you try to save the other?
Where exactly on Dorr Mountain did the tragedy occur? There was much speculation on social media from hikers who warned each other about hiking on icy trails.
How did park rangers know to go to Sieur de Monts parking lot to stage the search and rescue?
More than $12,000 has been raised in a go-fundme page for Beckford, who left two children.