Elvers have been fished from the River Severn for centuries

In 2005, a licence to fish for the baby eels will cost �65, compared to the current �20 price.

The Environment Agency, which regulates the elvering industry, says it will use the extra cash to protect the creatures

The agency says stocks of elvers in the River Severn have dropped by 90% over the past 30 years - and a recovery plan needs to be introduced.

The fall is believed to be caused by environmental changes and a loss of habitat.

Night-time patrols along the banks of the river are already carried out to stop elver poachers, who flout the system by catching baby eels in illegal trawler nets.

Elvers can fetch as much as �300 a kilo in the UK and in countries such as China and Japan, where they are considered delicacies.