By Sentinel Staff
The Department of Fish and Game continued surveying the waters of Sitka Sound today, looking for active spawn and opportunities for an opening for the sac roe herring fishery.
“We’re still running the same program,” said Area Management Biologist Eric Coonradt, who conducted an aerial survey from Crawfish Inlet to Whitestone Narrows this morning. “If we had an opportunity on fish that a processor or processors are interested in, we would call a fishery.”
Coonradt said about 10 permit holders out of the 48 are still in town, including those who are based here.
Herring schools were observed in Whitestone Narrows in today’s survey, and no active spawn was observed. Cumulative spawn to date is 1.6 nautical miles. The highest concentrations of herring predators were found in Krestof Sound and in Windy Passage, he reported.
He said spotter planes this morning reported “quite a bit of fish moving into Windy Pass” on the south, as well as in Salisbury Sound, moving into Neva Strait.
Fish and Game has measured a total of 1.6 nautical miles of active spawn.
The next update can be expected on Saturday after the next scheduled aerial survey.
