US Governor Vetoes Eel Fishing Bill
A state representative is praising Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy for vetoing a bill that would have opened Connecticut waters to the multimillion-dollar eel industry.
Twenty-four lawmakers, led by Democratic Rep. Mary Mushinsky of Wallingford, urged Malloy to veto the bill, saying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently reviewing whether the American eel is a threatened species.
Malloy rejected the bill Friday, saying it would be premature to allow eel fishing until that review is completed.
The bill was approved by state lawmakers in the final minutes of this year’s legislative session and would have eliminated the state’s ban on the taking of glass eels and elvers, or baby eels.
The tiny translucent eels are valued by dealers who ship them to Asia, where they are used as seed stock in aquaculture facilities.
Source: www.ctpost.com
