A man, 34, had a 12-inch eel removed after going to the Hai Ha District Medical Center in Quang Ninh Province with severe abdominal pain on Wednesday.

Eel, also called unagi in Japanese cuisine, is a popular dish around the world, particularly in Asia and Europe. It’s also very pricey. “This fish is being sold at prices close to $70.

American Unagi recently wrapped up construction on a $10 million, 27,000-square-foot facility to expand production of American eel to more than 500,000 pounds a year (or about 2 million eels).

Each spring, fishermen set nets in Maine’s rivers to fish for the state’s most valuable catch. No, not the iconic lobster, but tiny glass eels that fetch wholesale prices topping $2,000 per pound.