After a barrage of criticism over a plan to transfer baby eel quotas away from longtime licence holders, the federal Fisheries Department is delaying information sessions on the pilot project.

In December, Ottawa announced a plan to redistribute 27 per cent of the total Maritime catch of about 10,000 kilograms of baby eels — known as elvers — from nine commercial licence holders to 120 people who would operate on their own.

Each of the 120 recipients — who worked for the commercial licence holder…