Animal Planet to Debut New Series EEL OF FORTUNE, 2013

Animal Planet has found its next big catch - this time, though, it's the not the size that matters. Animal Planet president and general manager Marjorie Kaplan announced today EEL OF FORTUNE (wt), a new project from Left/Right Productions, following teams of New England fisherman as they search for the elusive elver eel, a lucrative fish that is a delicacy across many Asian countries. The price of elver eels, once at $50 per pound, has skyrocketed this season to an unprecedented $2,400 per pound. The show is targeted for 2013.

Elver eels - which look almost like cellophane noodles - may be tiny but they are a hot commodity in Asian markets and can bring a potential windfall to those few lucky fishermen who can obtain a permit in Maine. EEL OF FORTUNE will capture the outrageous adrenaline rush and sleepless nights of eelers as they embark on their daily journey to capture as many elver eels as they can. Maine is one of two states where elver eel harvesting is legal (the other being South Carolina). The stakes are high - with potential hauls between $20,000 and $40,000 in one night. But the competition to catch these slippery fish is fierce. Only 400 men can obtain an annual license to fish elver eel in Maine, producing some of the most passionate and determinEd Fishermen competing for the hottest fishing spots.

EEL OF FORTUNE will feature some of the most interesting characters on the hunt today amid high tide and a full moon. Invisible, deep holes, slippery rocks, northern terrain and frigid waters are a few of these fishermen's natural daily encounters. With a short two-month fishing season between March and May, these guys will do anything it takes to find as many of these active night crawlers as they can while fending off an increasing number of poachers.

EEL OF FORTUNE is being developed by Animal Planet's Kurt Tondorf and Todd Weiser and executive produced for Left/Right Productions by Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, highquality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

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