Reported baby eel 'poacher' busted for illegal drug possession

A Maine man, 38, reportedly attempting to poach baby eels with three other Maine residents in Barrington, was arrested instead early Saturday morning for possessing illegal drugs. 

Gary W. Beverage, of Jefferson, Maine, was sitting in a vehicle with the three other Maine residents on South Lake Drive at 2:04 am when a patrol officer approached the Pontiac Grand Am. The officer said that all of the occupants moved quickly and began acting suspiciously, according to Barrington Police Chief John LaCross.

They told the officer that they were fishing for lobster bait at the nearby pond. As their conversation continued, they eventually told the officer that they were actually using a net to try to poach baby eels, which are considered a delicacy in many countries.

Harvesting baby eels is illegal in other states on the East Coast, except for Maine and South Carolina. Poachers often catch the eels for sale to foreign markets, where the price per pound in places like the Far East can run as much as $2,500 a pound, said LaCross.

The patrol officer spotted a smoking bowl in the vehicle during the confrontation, said LaCross. That prompted a search of the car, where the officer found eight assorted illegal drugs. Beverage, as the driver, was arrested.

The other occupants were two men ages 34 and 38 and a woman, 31. They were not charged although it is believed they may have been smoking oxycontin.

Beverage was taken to the police station, where he was arraigned by a justice of the peace on possession of Schedule I, II, III, IV and V illegal drugs. No baby eels were found in the vehicle.