America's Hottest Black Market: Inside the Eel Gold Rush

[@matthewbrooker]

Eel collapse has already happened in Western Europe. What was once a poor man's staple is now almost non-existent except in luxury restaurants. US, learn from Europe, start rationing tbe licences.

[@RainCity3rd]

nah just like cod, salmon and all the rest no one learns because the incentives we create are self fulfilling. The more rare something is the higher the price and the more popular it gets. I watch our west coast salmon being managed to extinction....

[@RainCity3rd]

@johnny casarez seriously? I was surprised Oregon would be adding fish when Washington and BC are doing for terribly. A quick Google: 2017 Chinook caught down 40% from prior yr. 2014 to 17 down 80%. Much of the coast closed to salmon fishing. This is from the Oregon department fish and wildlife. It seems about as dire as up North. Now that said in bc we have disasters but we also have some healthy stocks further north that while not great are not in desperation. Still over all, it's a pretty grim picture on average as things are getting worse by far.

[@JohnJames.]

@@RainCity3rd , I agree. I'm in lower mainland British Columbia, we closed fishing for chum and pink, and of course sockeye. I see the growing trend of , just taking females for the roe, for steelhead fishing. So many gutted fish off the trails. I've watched it get worse every year for the last 10 years

[@RainCity3rd]

@@JohnJames. I'm not sure it's better than it was before but the fish handling is super bad. Embarrassed to see fish dragged up flipping on the rocks 10ft from the water covered in sand while some guy gets his camera out just to stick his boot on the fish to hold it down for a clear shot. I'm not sure what it was like back in the day, but it's certainly not good these days. The annual boxing day steelhead fishing derby turned in only a single fish this yr...

[@2011blueman]

Maine does a very good job managing wildlife stocks (e.g. lobster's, moose, bear, etc.)

[@Starkada]

"The money changed my life, I bought a four wheeler" lol

[@marcosorduno9203]

Jezz no one can take a joke

[@LosCristeros317]

American Pride agreed. Although, it’s disproportionately found in liberals. Lmao.

[@matthewgribble939]

Adam Stark 4 wheelers r cool,......

[@ZeeshanMuhammadX]

@American Pride: Rather ironic that you misspelt Satoshi Kanazawa 's name. He's a known bad-faith researcher who uses P-value fishing in an effort to produce research that white nationalist love to cite. He repeatedly slings racist drivel dressed up in pseudo-scientific language and gullible folks, such as yourself, eat it up.

[@r.d.9399]

@American Pride Democrats are domestic enemies. It has gone past politics at this point.

[@amirbiogene]

American Eel is endangered...yet it’s still being fished LEGALY as well as illegally, especially during a juvenile stage... when do we learn our lesson about eradicating species and collapsing ecosystems!!?

[@zeitgeistx5239]

Then you'd better tell the Japanese to stop eating their favorite food. Over exploitation and climate change means Japanese demand is driving the global trade for elvers.

[@kimthor3903]

The day the rich move to live in a space station and us poor bastards are stuck to this dying planet that's when we realize

[@ajpearl2075]

@Ville It mentions that all of the "elvers" are sold to Japan and other East Asian nations where they are raised to adulthood before being eaten.

[@marcosorduno9203]

Well into we lear how to farm it better

[@audreyandlinCompany]

The Chinese like them dried or fresh. I see them in the market all the time.

[@ajpearl2075]

As long as the money is there and the people don't have better economic situations the problem will exist.

[@janethagaman1998]

AJ: As much as it pains me to agree, your comment was right on.

[@Auriflamme]

Until the eels become so critically endangered that the fishery collapses and you get what happened at the end of the gold-rush - foreclosures and ghost towns.

[@toomanyaccounts]

the problem is they need to ban the harvesting of the babies. only the adults should be harvested and go to Japan. anyone selling the babies gets fines and the foreign buyers of the babies get put in prison for decades.

[@wind-solar]

Former gov't employee now runs the eel racket. Go figure.

[@KevinP32270]

lol

[@tulockthewerewolf9744]

Crook is always a crook

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

Former government official now in jail...

[@Dkthearn]

Funny how hiprocritacal we are

[@KevinP32270]

@@Dkthearn we hell.....you mean THEY.

[@masterofpureawesome]

It's amazing the patience that must go into these videos. Footage from 2017 and it's just now seeing the light of day in 2020. Commendable.

[@wegapaul3616]

Editing video productions is a serious nightmare... I'm amazed people do it actually...it's terrible. Thanks for the acknowledgement. You are intelligent and a Lord.

[@NavamNiles]

The tragedy of the commons.

[@ermay3031]

Beta

[@ghostmourn]

Yes, exactly.

[@ZosKia523]

As a native of georgia, i always loved finding an eelnon a trotline. The meat was always delicious. I've wondered why i dont see them the way i did as a child. Now, i know. That's sad.

[@zeitgeistx5239]

You can thank Japan's insatiable appetite for Unagi.

[@Okraknife]

I think I've only caught one in my life.

[@forum666]

"Operation Broken Glass" .. Alright, I will hand it to you.. excellent operation name

[@maryannlarsen1727]

They should have a season opening and closing to help the eels recover in their populations

[@xaviermccloud4586]

@Daren Shelton White Americans are greedy though. Look at aby industry who always seems to be there first, even industry they don't belong in first.

[@ferdinandcarson6732]

Maryann Larsen It’s ALL about the mighty $ and nothing more also jobs are probably scarce up in Maine.

[@-Uranos-]

@Paul MacLean petty but a harsh reality. Im betting you arent black or a dark latino..try those shoes and tell me how petty reality is.

[@Inertia888]

@Paul MacLean /whoosh 🤦‍♂️

[@kennyburke9698]

Maryann Larsen they do Hav seasons

[@jctai100]

Cod, tuna, certain mushrooms, now eels.....nothing new here.

[@offmeds2nite]

There's probably an intermediate solution involving capping catches, as has been done in other fisheries by the US fish and wildlife service for decades. The species need not be registered endangered, but the overfishing should be kept in check with sustainable fishing practices with adequate regulations. It's probably not what these fisherman will want, but it's a lot better than the alternatives.

[@gridcaster]

change the law to reflect conservation goals....tax the legit market to pay for law enforcement....use law enforcement to crack the poachers. or...do nothing and let the whole system collapse resulting in out of work legit fishermen and with a nearly zeroed out population of eels in Maine. the problem tends to be that even as profitability falls due to the low population you don't see people leave the "industry" to go do something else. mostly this is a cultural thing. hard nose blue collar fishermen in Maine work HARDER as the money dries up...resulting in even more slide.

[@RainCity3rd]

This would take public support but unfortunately the price of these are so high that it would be really hard to get that. The politicians are voted in by the people. These are poor people putting food on their tables, they are not thinking about 3 generations from now they think about their next meal, rightly or wrongly. It takes a lot of heart to go against that for the greater good. Its a tough one, but needs to be done and the longer the wait the harder the regulations will have to be.

[@alynewlun6956]

One of the biggest problems is there heading to China. The last thing our greedy top politicians wanna do is piss them off. They'd sell off every last one and blame it on global warming. In reality what needs to be done is stop fishing for a couple years to let populations grow. Every wild animals numbers keep dwindling, while human populations keep exploding. We need to concentrate more on farm raised proteins. 30 years ago I could catch three stripers in 2 hrs now I'm lucky to catch 1 in two weeks.

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@alynewlun6956 heading to china to be grown. keep them here and grow. set up farms to grow the glass eels and only harvest the adults.

[@louiseromero5185]

You are the only one that can save these eels from being mistreated and fished on the brink of extinction. Everything is always because of greed. I am thankful that there is someone like you doing something for the eel s . May God be with you .Louise from Jackson California

[@mxbass1036]

I hope this video doesn't give people the idea to go into the eel business.

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

Less competition for you ha ha.

[@xAlexZifko]

too late i just laid down $500k on an eel farm in nicaragua. the guy who emailed me about it seemed very credible and bitcoin made the transaction quick and easy!

[@a.rodgers6111]

@@xAlexZifko lmfao can i buy in?

[@xAlexZifko]

@@a.rodgers6111 sure just send your payment to bc1qg40n93s68zp6dkrcyff5axk0vwucftvjtjvg3s and ill cut you in!

[@cristhianmarchan8379]

I’m quitting my job today n moving over there fore sure I want in the eel business

[@BooGooNFlowoo4Evoo]

Why can't the state start an elver hatchery?

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

You would think so? Here in Minnesota the DNR is totally on top of all that stuff and managing brook trout populations and such, heard a story of North Dakota where they collect the baby lake trout in raise them up and release them by the hundreds of thousands if not more, seems like a pretty simple solution

[@BooGooNFlowoo4Evoo]

@@GreenCanvasInteriorscape In western North Carolina rainbow trout hatcheries have a very positive impact and help support many private businesses.

[@nickwalker2505]

Impossible with current technology

[@mihaiilie8808]

Because these eels have to cross the ocean and the Mediteranean to breed in east europe.They are not american fish,dont belong to USA!

[@altha-rf1et]

how about some liberal Hollywood actor starting one

[@BatCaveOz]

Circa 07:02 Q - "How do you stay awake?" A - "Drive the coffee to me." Me - "That and meth... lots of meth."

[@travislangholz1026]

BatCaveOz 😂😂that’s what I told the wife when he said that

[@KevinP32270]

OMG...i thought the same thing lol

[@robertcaviness5300]

For sure that guys a text book burn out doper, it’s almost like they asked him that question on purpose

[@thelittleittybittypityshow6380]

There’s never enough meth The problem is all the tweakers that are smokin it all up, or slammin it in, never stop to take a hit or two of some weed. Stress or chronic, they just need to have a pot puffin here and there to take the edge off

[@JamesBC524]

Sucks that he’s probably poaching them just to buy the meth

[@MB1z]

This is so interesting. I had no idea about any money for eels.

[@mtl-ss1538]

Very similar to "White Bait" fishing in New Zealand.!!! the only unregulated fisheries over here All cash @ about $50 a pound.!!! until they get into the commercial market when 15% tax is applied.!!!

[@loganreidy7055]

Unfortunately eel is delicious

[@carsonchan5102]

Maine, US .. seems like fishing heaven. I really want to go there to go fishing. There is so much fresh water + coast line... and extremely small population... all adds up to tons of fish

[@Drofthing]

The real question is how much are the Eels really worth. If they are willing to pay that much for a pound, how much are the people overseas making?

[@TwinTurboZach]

Its because they grow much larger and are worth more then. Theres a larger market in asian countries for eel as food than the US.

[@Drofthing]

I understand. My point was they are clearly worth more than what they are paying these fishermen, otherwise they wouldn't be giving the people at the "bottom" of the pyramid $1500 per pound, that's all. So again, how much are the people at the "top" of the pyramid making off these eels if they are able to afford paying $1500 to the people at the "bottom"?

[@TwinTurboZach]

The asian countries are paying them, but thats the thing. Its a product. You cant buy/sell things at JUST under the price of what they will actually be that the consumer pays. It just wouldnt be profitable at that point, and therefore wouldnt be a market for it. Id say these fisherman are making PRETTY good money regardless.

[@sparkyjones560]

They give like $1.00 an eel as babies. In Asia they get like $5 or $10 a meal with eel. It wouldn't work with adult eels and flying them to Asia too many pounds and taking too much space. The babies you can do like 1000 eels per pound. So in Asia those 1000 eels after growing them out will make them $5 or $10k.

[@sparkyjones560]

@@niceoppapy yeah. I have no idea what it sells for in Japan, I've never been there, but I know why they want the small ones and why it's profitable for them to pay $1500 a pound for the babies it's because they ship them small and grow them out over there.

[@awhiskyintheevening8408]

YT commenters: Why don't they just breed these eels in captivity? Google: Why aren't you asking me that question? Short answer: They grow in fresh water, travel to the ocean to breed once, and die. With current technology, we cannot replicate the conditions needed for their complex lifecycle.

[@youngeshmoney]

This is about the stupidest comment I've seen

[@taiyoctopus2958]

wow this is not sustainable at all

[@John_Conner222]

I can promise you we DO have the technology, its just costs too much to implement.

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

Yep.. and American n European eels are merely two branches of the same population..

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

@@John_Conner222 not really.. Japanese scientists have been working on it for decades and are saying not viable..

[@pauld9561]

I think we're gonna need a bigger boat.

[@Nic1Moreno]

once it dries up everyone gonna be crying....

[@altha-rf1et]

there will be another way to make money then

[@conflagrationTuesday]

"Why didn't anyone warn us" 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@goodchessactor]

Cool. I just finished watching the expensive truffles video and came upon the expensive eels video. I wasted my college time studying stuff and now I'm retired and I don't even have a four wheeler. People getting money from the river and from the ground, oh, my heart! I think this is the big one!

[@hilee7390]

Eels ecology is a mystery and couldn't be concluded even among scientists. We don't know where they specifically lay eggs and came in Maine state through any path. One thing of found out by scientists is North American and European babies eels came from the Sargasso Sea of the Atlantic Ocean.

[@jrcostilla9105]

I can't take a man seriously when he walks to the water wearing a bathroab over his clothes

[@awolff3381]

damn that guy 600k three time's a week to pay ppl wonder what he took home?

[@lolbots]

at a modest 10% that's 180k/week

[@GrillWasabi]

He will bury himself with the money. I wonder how much money is enough?

[@altha-rf1et]

@@GrillWasabi it is a nice way to die a bed full of money and hookers

[@biggrthnablak1682]

Triple

[@MissRazna]

i'm from a town in maine where these eels are harvested. sometimes there is a lot of trash left behind and people get quite pissed about the illicit activity. its a big double edged sword because like the guy said at the beginning, we are poor in maine

[@Housewarmin]

To say these people are making thousands of dollars, they don't look like they live a lavish life.

[@ともより-b8o]

Sincerely Eccentric says something about reality

[@caranich23]

I've met some rich property speculators who live very modestly themselves. They are putting that money away so that they can retire early and have a better retirement.

[@Justthemow]

All the money goes to meth

[@dudere]

@@Justthemow Im sure the money goes to pay for the licenses. The rest goes to meth though. Im not throwing shade but I have worked with fishermen and there really is nothing like meth to help you work 22 hours a day.

[@pauld9561]

The season lasts only a few weeks.

[@minguyen-rl7sn]

lol pound of glass eels cost more than a pound of Marijuana in Cali's black market.

[@rajgill7576]

But why?? Pound of weed lasts longer and does more

[@lazytyrantthao4637]

Shows you asian has the money. Need to sell marijuana to China and Japan 🤑

[@tricktaylor]

Cali has black market weed? I only f*ck with the good shit i guess. That dude has way too small a tank for his fish...

[@minguyen-rl7sn]

@@rajgill7576 especially if you make edibles with it. 8 hour high per cookie.

[@minguyen-rl7sn]

@@lazytyrantthao4637 cant. They execute you for weed in asia. They took US propaganda on Marijiana literally, and to this day still hold that belief. China will almost never legalize weed because they have PTSD from the opium war.

[@clipperdip]

Fishing the babies of a species has to be the stupidest thing possible. What a disgusting example of human waste.

[@annas7108]

this eel nomad guy is my literal hero

[@andersnrregren9087]

Oh so thats why we dont have the eels in Denmark anymore

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

Yep.. American n European eels are two branches of the same population..

[@47midnight]

man and immediately thought the only real valuable catch in maine was lobsters, to know these eels are second only to them? damn

[@rstash1]

not for long.

[@nickrolando7747]

I JUST CAME HERE FOR THE COMMENTS 😁

[@Ravishrex1]

@BWM you must have missed a few.

[@nickrolando7747]

Stoned and bored

[@briancomley8210]

There used to be dozens of people selling them when i was growing up each season, you knew who were selling them because a chair was placed outside their homes with a white towel draped over it. Quick fried with bacon, yumm.

[@sloppyshotz1201]

As soon as I heard that man say dollar in his mainer accents I knew I'm missing home cant wait to be back in maine

[@skylarfowler7994]

I understand how it could help people but at the same time it's quite sad that those animals are never going to reach maturity and reproduce because they're harvested shortly after they are born. I know some other countries that used to allow collecting glass Eels they have made any illegal now because it devastates the population and in the video at like 9:30 the guy says they buy them to grow them out to serve them in restaurants they do not grow them out they eat them as glass eel ( baby Eels) because it's a delicacy in Japan China in Asia they pay small fortunes for a small bowl of glass eels they do not grow them out for the most part

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

also in certain European countries like Spain..

[@quorumlab]

Rather than sell the seeds develo the eel to adulthood and make real money.

[@rstash1]

The smart money in Japan does that. We are just the dumb fishermen.

[@cooganalaska3249]

Those things look so nasty. Hard to imagine eating them.

[@rstash1]

They grow up.

[@lucanidae100]

delicious

[@paratrooperlane7022]

Greed, affects the Mind!

[@grungeera4561]

Need a length limit like all other fish .. Like you can only keep them if they are 18" or more .. Problem solved ✌

[@sparkyjones560]

Yeah. No. Asia wants them small, more animals per pound to ship them over there. They grow them out and sell them over there. A pound of babies is like 1000 eels. They pay like $1400 for it. In Asia they will grow them out to like a pound of so each and sell them for $10 or $20 each to consumers. It works the way it works. They wouldn't be worth the costs if they were adults before they were shipped.

[@ape72patch1]

The babies are considered a delicacy.

[@souljuh4539]

wow...I have NEVER even heard of this

[@fitzgibbon01]

This is the craziest US accent I've ever heard...

[@drmodestoesq]

I'm assuming you've never been to Louisiana.

[@fitzgibbon01]

@@drmodestoesq actually one of the few places in the States I have been 😂

[@jcman240]

It's the Boston accent

[@michaels3757]

@@jcman240 no its Maine accent, completely different from Boston or Massachusetts sound.

[@okamisan3642]

you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.

[@altha-rf1et]

The horse will drink some if you hold its head down long enough

[@biggrthnablak1682]

@@altha-rf1et 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@OklahomaSwagMaster]

the atlantic back at it again

[@UATU.]

Wonder where all that cash goes, they aren’t spending any on home upkeep and hygiene.

[@spiloFTW]

heroin and Jack Daniels brother

[@gridcaster]

the guys at the bottom are just getting a small taste of the pie...the real money is in the large scale sales and the hook up connections overseas.

[@DanRayBeats]

I like the way this is filmed, it has a nice feel to it!

[@massive223]

10:17 how my dude gonnna use a laptop like that?

[@CShivery]

Slave monitor, but yes, he looks like a dork with his screen at that angle, slave monitor or not.

[@SHOTCALLER_HUNIT]

Foreals lmaoo

[@0BRAINS0]

Bill Sheldon shouldn't tell the world how much cash he has on hand even if they do have a couple cheap high point pistols, won't stop one professional with an automatic rifle.

[@onekewlbraddah8460]

Americans supported by China in the heart of Maine. The irony lmao!

[@joesalgado]

Damn Chinese on my lawn again. Get off my lawn you....... 😂 Hi sir yes I’m Chinese but I’m here to collect my money because you didn’t deliver the eels I paid for. Oh yeah sorry I forgot about it the river dried and we exploited the shit out the eel population now they all disappeared. 😂 😂

[@inkbold8511]

Not this time, this time the eaters are those Japanese whose love for their eel sushi has caused this extinction of eel species.

[@andrewbrady3139]

Yep, I worked as a stern man. Was a clam digger in Harrington. Now I work on Drones in California. I do miss Downeast.

[@paigewhit4249]

Very interesting documentary, but quick question - is this what all people in Maine speak like, or is this a certain region of Maine's dialect? I'm from the Midwest and have never met someone who lived north of New York and this dialect is fascinating to me because it's got that Northeastern sound but also is like nothing quite like I have heard before.

[@kingoffoxez]

We need to keep all the eels for bait to catch the Asian carp. Also if a 5 gallon bucket was worth 1/2 a million the American eel would have been wiped out in the first 2 week.

[@dfpytwa]

I wish the nymphs would develop an expensive taste for kangaroo rats. I could be a millionaire.

[@dirtywrx8478]

Everyone gets a piece of the money. That's why no one gives a shit. The world is messed up and corrupt.

[@snowkracker]

The one guy talking with the map looks like the dude in the video who had the frozen Sasquatch head

[@johnlowe8418]

These fisherpeople will keep going untill there's nothing left, then blame the Gov't for not regulating sooner, typical human greed

[@kylebaxter3456]

why not just grow your own eels first, then sell them.... seems like they populate in mass numbers

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

smiles.. it's not possible.. they have a very complex life cycle.. they start in fresh water.. go to the ocean n return to breed.. bit like salmon.. also.. American n European ell are two branches of the same population that need to interact to breed properly.. Japanese scientists have been working on it for decades n have told that it's not viable..

[@JDCali459mm]

Reminds me of the South Park dolphins episode.

[@lifecoaching5068]

Why not use adult eels to make a hatchery and then use them rather than using those ones in the wild?

[@davidyoung3020]

they only reproduce ( mate) in mid ocean - Sargasso Sea, in the Bermuda Triangle, not in captivity

[@FixNewsPlease]

It's hard to believe people like this still exist today. America is so backwards.

[@FAMGameplay]

Reporter:How do you stay awake? Guy:"Drive a coffee to me"(inside his head "Meth baby,meth)

[@rstash1]

Too much money. Goodbye eels. People don't think ahead.

[@unotweek]

Soooo why aren't they breeding them and then releasing them back into the wild?

[@alexcoburg1530]

It's hard to replicate artificial environments sometimes they need symbotic relationships with plants and also other eels to hatch or thrive you can't replicate this easily

[@mihaiilie8808]

Because these eels breed in Europe and they cross the ocean and the Mediteranean.They are not american eels!

[@unotweek]

Ah got ya

[@awhiskyintheevening8408]

@@mihaiilie8808 , no. The American and European eels are two, closely related species. Both species reproduce in the Sargasso Sea. I haven't had time to read much about them, but it sounds like they may have been the same species at one point.

[@mihaiilie8808]

@@awhiskyintheevening8408 I catch these on the Danube delta in Europe where they come to breed from US coast. I catch and release big adult eels.They breed here then they and the larvae goes to America. On their journey to America they have to cross the Mediteranean where the spanish and italians catch them as juveniles just like you see in this vid from USA.

[@airikgail4383]

A five gallon bucket filled up is a HALF A MILLION F@#*IN DOLLARS . !! This is totally nuts

[@joshuarichards3973]

As someone who lives in Maine i can tell you nobody eats those slimy things why not export them and bring more money back to Maine (is nobody gonna mention that the one guy who is worried about their extinction wearing a robe down to the river?)

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

smiles softly.. both elvers n full size eels are considered a delicacy all over the world.. elvers as a kind of anchovis.. the full size eels smokes.. broiled or roated.. my preference is smoked.. anyways.. their numbers are going down dramatically.. the Japanese was extinct already.. why they buy ours.. full sized goes to Europe.. American European eel are two branches of the same population..

[@paralentor]

So crazy to see this. I knew of Maine residents quietly doing this back in 2006.

[@cleison.]

Nice photography and editing

[@weirdaustin757]

I just dont understands is that people also depend on the eel so why catch all the babies. Why dont they catch adult and get bigger money. So sad. Hope they figure it out before it too late..😭

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

numbers going down dramatically already.. both here n Europe.. they are two branches of the same pipukation..

Why doesn't Maine fisheries raise the eels to adult size themselves and sell to Japan?

[@michaels3757]

air freight costs-- its way more cost effective to ship them when their small-- shipping live or fresh fish by air is not cheap

[@jpflores883]

Which place to buy here in the phil somilya or seedling

[@viewsONTRENDING]

Hope they ain't doing this here in New Zealand yet because we have some special eels down here, not to mention they grow to massive size

[@chaoticlife311]

you know the world is screwed when America starts eating more water based food product than land based. what's not to say about land base agriculture.

[@jfk64kennedy95]

you're mislead, those of us Americans who live within a few miles of the ocean have a fairly heavy seafood diet

[@chugging-alkaline-h20]

They are selling them to Asia to raise to adulthood

[@manicsurfing]

why cant we farm them and reintroduce them, place a tax on the sale of them that pays for a fishery to grow and help repopulate the streams

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

smiles.. they have a very complex life cycle and essentially have to roam free to be able to complete it to reproduce.. also.. American n European eel are two branches of the same population that need to interact to survive..

[@richardmills8401]

I've seen thousands of American eels in certain places around the east coast but never thought they where valuable. Most people don't want anything to do with these eels. I'm surprised this hasn't cought on anywhere else

[@IslandPlumber]

Haha. I live there and have fished for them there too. This was nuts years ago when people first caught on. Some nights people would fight for spots on the shore to scoop them out with nets (dip). We made 100 bucks in like 5 minutes one night but left because it turned into a mob. We would drive to remote places to do it. One night a drunk guy came out of the woods with duct tape around his ankles. Said he just woke up and asked how the fishing was. He had a giant net he had rigged up that was totally illegal. He made it into the surf and was immediately taken down by a wave. We had to help him out. It has gotten better now but this kind of stuff still happens. The original gold rush was insane. You make thousands per hour and it's not hard work. Now there are a limited number of permits. There is a sign on the side of the road, "cash elver". That's where you sell them.

[@MiguelSanchez-el7os]

Fricken Hicks lmao going bonkers over these endangered fish smh funny what a little bit of money can do to clueless ppl at least if your fishing them that hard help replenish so you can at least count on them being there for the next generation

[@patronsbarbershop88]

Great mini docu, filming and all

[@Kushert]

Never underestimate a hillbilly

[@marshmelow6403]

how do you stay awake? "ehhh coffee" yea right.....

[@biggrthnablak1682]

Money.......duh😑👈

[@tomjones6944]

great documentary but the sound engineer has it awfully quiet I can hardly hear anything

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

fact!

[@samuraijack1371]

Greed is the same it's just takes different forms. Be it Wall Street or be it back country.

[@lucanidae100]

All the Cod have been wiped out and they have no idea where they were all taken from to reseed the area. Here it it folks we are all going to starve to death one day soon

[@nunyabizznizz7326]

his backyard would look like the moon......lol

[@leviroch]

Tell me elvers dont look exactly like the worms from 'the strain'

[@mooksville]

Critically endangered !! Well done USA .. you've outdone yourself again !!

[@tonydiablo6976]

14:50 what's worming?

[@ronsmith1364]

Blood worms for bait guessing.

[@tonydiablo6976]

@@ronsmith1364 oooh. Thanks.

[@Midwestupland]

Wouldn’t say it’s a black market if the government is ok with it

[@trapjudas1631]

MI fly shiiit just because the government endorses it doesn’t mean it isn’t illegal or considered “black market” lol

[@omaroidrissa1996]

Saddly in Africa, they wouldn't Pay t Fisherman 25Cent's / Pound ....n Still Tax it !

[@mister40five88]

Why not just catch em.. grow em to the size of that map and then sell them.. americans need leadership

[@jessejeffery7137]

There not buying the big adults for that price there buying the babies so that way they can grow it on there own if you were paying attention.

[@newenglandframer]

Difference of delayed vs instant gratification & greed for money.

[@mister40five88]

Americans rather grow the wheat and farm the eggs and outsource the bread making then buy it back. Until trump came along he made america great again

[@mister40five88]

@@jessejeffery7137 yes lol I get it.. that's why I said what I said

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

smiles.. it's not possible.. they have a very complex life cycle.. they start in fresh water.. go to the ocean n return to breed.. bit like salmon.. also.. American n European eel are two branches of the same population that need to interact to breed properly.. Japanese scientists have been working on it for decades n have told that it's not viable..

[@bluewyvern7858]

I hope that eels continue to reproduce and that their population numbers bounce back. I also hope that we learn how eels reproduce so we may have be able to rely more on aquaculture and affect the food chains/web less.

[@uncleslavo1]

Very interesting and informative.

[@MrBLee2015]

"I made a whole years salary in a week but I bought bullshit that I don't need instead of buying anything that is necessity?

[@jackbrown3761]

Stop the fishing of eels for one lifetime of an eel. 5 years, then resume.

[@不取出轨妻宁取从良妓]

I am a buyer from China , I love this things

[@lucanidae100]

How come we are not seeing any eels in our stores ? I am hungry!

[@miriamvivo4279]

Just like the codfish make the money till they disappear same with bluefin tuna in nova scotia and the halibut in alaska que sera sera

[@UVJ_Scott]

They figure the original Pilgrim Thanksgiving dinner consisted mainly of eels, not turkey.

[@johnwells9089]

If you had a rotation system on the catching of eels that's to say take a break for one year or more, and then catch eels three years in a row you would probably more than quadruple your income it short-sightedness greed! No matter how prolific it will soon enough be depleted....

[@darmaciptamedia3541]

very good video.. in indonesia so many baby eel bicolour, we usualy fried and eat them.. just go to river and catch them. if want to buy in market very cheap.