By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery opened again Wednesday, Thursday, and today putting the cumulative harvest at more than 8,000 tons.
While the seine fleet opened the herring season by plying the waters around Lisianski Point, Krestof Island, and Hayward Strait, the fleet shifted southward in recent days to fish in Aleutkina Bay and near Sitka National Historical Park, Department of Fish and Game press releases show.
Department test sets conducted near the mouth of Indian River and in Aleutkina Bay pulled up marketable herring Thursday morning, leading to openings in those areas from 9:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Top: The Sitka seiner Chelsea Dawn is surrounded by seagulls this morning as a herring set is pulled in near the mouth of Jamestown Bay. Today was the seventh day of seining in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery, and the third day of fishing in the area close to town. Below: A pair of humpback whales get mouthfuls of herring near Galankin Island. Dozens of whales are feeding on herring in Sitka Sound. (Sentinel Photos by James Poulson)
Harvest data from the April 1 opening is not yet available, but on March 31 the 20 or so participating seiners caught 2,100 tons of herring, which was enough to bring the fishery above the 8,000 ton threshold. On March 30, the fleet caught only 900 tons of herring, the lowest daily total so far this season. The fishery first opened on Saturday, March 27.
Today the fishery opened at 9:45 a.m. in the waters around the park and Aleutkina Bay.
In January, the department set a guideline harvest level of 33,304 tons, though Fish and Game initially anticipated the total harvest wouldn’t exceed 20,000 tons. The forecast for herring returns this year was estimated at 210,453 tons.
A department aerial survey Thursday located small amounts of herring spawn on the eastern side of Kruzof Island.
