Animal Planet to give “Eel of Fortune” a spin

August 2, 2012 by Adam Benzine

U.S. net Animal Planet has commissioned Left/Right Productions to make Eel of Fortune (pictured), a series following a team of fishermen as they hunt for the elusive and lucrative elver eel.

Set in New England, the tentatively titled show will launch next year and looks at the fishing of elver eels, which are described as looking “almost like cellophane noodles” by the network.

The fish are a delicacy across many Asian countries. Once valued at about US$50 per pound, their value has skyrocketed this season to around US$2,400 per pound.

However, only 400 people can obtain an annual license to fish elver eel in Maine, which is one of two states where elver eel harvesting is legal (the other being South Carolina). With potential hauls of up to $40,000 in a single night, competition is fierce.

The series is being developed by Animal Planet’s Kurt Tondorf and Todd Weiser, and exec produced for Left/Right Productions by Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver.

Tags: Animal Planet, Eel of Fortune, Elver eel, Left/Right Productions

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