Canadian Authorities Seize $500,000 Worth of Baby Eels at Toronto Airport

Officials seized approximately $500,000 worth of baby eels at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, which were intended for shipment overseas. The seizure, carried out by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canada Border Services Agency, is part of increased enforcement efforts following the closure of the lucrative elver fishery due to violence and intimidation during last year's fishing season in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The baby eels, valued at about $5,000 per kilogram, are flown to Asia where they are raised to maturity and used in food, particularly in unagi dishes at sushi restaurants.

• Seizure of 109 kilograms of elvers worth between $400,000 and $500,000 at Toronto's Pearson International Airport
• Closure of the lucrative elver fishery due to violence and intimidation during last year's fishing season in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
• Increased enforcement efforts by the federal government, resulting in arrests for elver-related crimes and seizures of nearly 208 kilograms of elvers so far this year