Commerical eeler Ian Mitchell says New Zealand's longfin eel is thriving.
"There are a few myths that need putting right. There has been a lot of talk about the long fin being endangered but there are plenty of long fin around, I put them back all the time - there are stacks," he said.
There are two main types of eel in New Zealand - the shortfin and endemic longfin.
The Bay of Plenty eeler has been operating in Hawke's Bay, Northland, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne for 20 years, relying on the generosity of land owners to access dams and creeks.
He said the eeling industry was unpopular in some circles.
"No one seems to worry about commercial cray fishers or commercial paua divers, but commercial eelers they do. It's just the same thing to me."
Under quota rules any eel over 4kg has to be returned.
"I put long-finned back all the time," he said.
Willows and wetlands are the main indicators of eel populations but he said eels are in the stony Hawke's Bay rivers "more than you'd think".
He said they were "fascinating creatures".
"Mature eels go to the Tongan Trench to breed and die. The elvers float back on ocean currents. When they come close to our river mouths they start swimming up."
He said at that stage they were about the size of a pencil lead.
"It's amazing where they get to, they wriggle up all over the place."
Some of the biggest eels he has caught have been from ditches and drains.
"The scientists say the big eels are ancient things but I believe where they have a good food supply they grow faster."
He said the New Zealand fishery was sustainable if managed properly.
"I do a four-year round in my dams and I try not to spoil my rivers - unless another eeler comes along and spoils things. That's the worst part of it, it's competitive, you never know if someone else is going to come along. But it is getting better and better because of the quota system."
He said the industry organisation, the Eel Enhancement Co, was actively supporting the fishery.
"The legal limit is is 220g but our industry has voluntarily raised the limit to 380-400g by increasing the size of the escape eyelets in our nets."
He said along with loss of habitat, hydro-electric dams harmed eel populations.
"Our industry catches the elvers below the Karapiro and releases them above all the dams along the Waikato River."
When the eels migrate to sea they can be damaged by dam turbines.
There are two eel processing plants in the North Island, one in Levin and one in Te Kauwhata.
"They are sorted and graded and over half of them are exported live overseas to Korea and Taiwan."
He said the New Zealand industry was small compared to overseas where they have not yet been farmed.
"They have been hatched though - people are trying."
He got into eels after the possum-trapping industry fell over.
"Hawke's Bay eeler Ray Baikie taught me the ropes. He's retired now - there's not much about eeling he doesn't know."
Mr Mitchell said he loves eating smoked eels and sometimes gets sampled himself.
"I get the occasional nip - you wouldn't want one of those big jokers to bite you, they have a vice-like grip. They have small teeth but they will take the skin off your arm easy enough."
He only handles them when large ones are returned to keep breeding numbers up.
"They are hard things to grab - they're slippery as an eel," he said.