Licensed eel fishermen Jessica Card, left, and Julie Keene shine flashlights into the water on the banks of the Penobscot River after setting a net in Brewer.
In this May 25, 2017 photo, Baby eels swim in a bucket after being caught near Brewer in May.
An eel fisherman shines a flashlight into the water on the Penobscot River in Brewer. The illegal trade in poached eels has become so widespread that the U.S. Justice Department has launched an undercover investigation on the East Coast called Operation Broken Glass.
Elvers can be sold for more than $2,000 per pound at the dock.
Julie Keene and Jessica Card, who are licensed eel fishermen, set up a fyke net on the banks of the Penobscot River in May. In the springtime baby eels swim upstream with the rising tide.
Baby eels swim plastic bag after being caught near Brewer.
A dish of eel nigiri is served at Miyake, a Japanese restaurant, in Portland. Miyake is one of a growing number of restaurants that serve Maine farm-raised eels.
Business 
