Maine Department of Marine Resources Launches Online Elver License Lottery Application

The service allows Maine residents to enter for a chance to win an elver license.

Maine’s Department of Marine Resources is pleased to announce the launch of the online Elver License Lottery application, which is available to residents of Maine. Available at www.maine.gov/elverlottery, the system allows applicants to submit their name for a chance to win an elver license. The online application was created by the Department of Marine Resources, in partnership with the state’s digital government portal provider, InforME.

Elvers have been making headlines for the past several years. The rising market prices of these young eels have gained the attention of existing commercial fisherman and anyone interested in applying for these coveted licenses.

The Department of Marine Resources last held a lottery for elver licenses in 2013. The Legislature suspended any further lotteries after that season because an overall state quota reduced the amount available for every licensed harvester. But, the lottery was re-authorized during the last legislature, providing opportunity for a handful of harvesters to gain entry into the fishery.

The Department began accepting applications for available licenses via lottery on Nov. 15, 2017; the winners of the licenses will be chosen in January 2018. Each applicant has the ability to purchase up to five entries into the lottery, with each entry costing $35.

“We are thrilled with the response to the lottery so far,” commented DMR licensing director Cathy Fetterman. “Being able to offer an online solution makes the submission process simple for applicants and significantly cuts down on the amount of administrative staff time needed to manage the lottery.”

DMR is also offering a kiosk in its main office in Augusta for interested applicants who do not have internet access. The lottery is available to Maine residents only, and all applicants must be at least 15 years of age by the start of the 2018 elver season, March 22, 2018.

For more information about this service or commercial fishing licenses, contact the DMR License Division at 207-624-6550, Option 2.

About Maine.gov

Maine.gov (http://www.Maine.gov) is the official Web portal of the state of Maine. Maine.gov is a service of InforME, a collaborative effort between the state of Maine and Maine Information Network, LLC, part of the NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV) family of companies.

About NIC

NIC Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV) is the nation’s premier provider of innovative digital government solutions and secure payment processing, which help make government interactions more accessible for everyone through technology. The family of NIC companies has developed a library of more than 13,000 digital government services for more than 5,500 federal, state, and local government agencies. Among these solutions is the ground-breaking personal assistant for government, Gov2Go, delivering citizens personalized reminders and a single platform for all government interactions. More information is available at www.egov.com.

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InforME/Maine.govDan Andrews, 207-621-2600General [e-mail]