Federal officials say they’ve made what they describe as a major seizure of baby eels after finding 109 kilograms of┬аelvers at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
The seizure was carried out on Wednesday by the Department of┬аFisheries and Oceans and the Canada Border Services Agency, who say┬аthe fish were slated to be shipped overseas.
Officials estimate the elvers seized are valued between $400,000 and $500,000.
The federal government closed the lucrative elver fishery on March 11 after violence and intimidation plagued last year’s fishing season in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
WATCH┬а|┬аMaine may have the┬аblueprint for a successful elver fishery in Canada┬а
Elvers are typically flown to Asia where they’re raised to┬аmaturity and sold for food, as mature eels are used in unagi dishes┬аat sushi restaurants.
The baby eels are worth about $5,000 per kilogram тАФ more than┬аlobsters, scallops or salmon тАФ making them the most valuable fish┬аby weight in Canada.
Federal data shows 149 people have been arrested for elver-related crimes, and nearly 208 kilograms of elvers have been seized so far this year.