By Sentinel Staff
Seiners in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring harvest netted a bit over half of the 2022 Guideline Harvest Level in the two weeks of fishing that ended April 10, the Department of Fish and Game announced Tuesday.
All told, the seine boat fleet pulled in 26,350 tons of herring out of a GHL of 45,164 tons. On Sunday, the last day of fishing, seiners pulled in 470 tons of herring in waters south of Sitka around Aleutkina Bay and Deep Inlet as well as on the Baranof Island west coast between Povorotni Point and Aspid Cape.
On Tuesday the department’s aerial survey spotted herring spawn along 1.8 nautical miles of beaches, though turbulent wind conditions hampered visibility, ADFG said. No flight was conducted Monday due to high winds. Spawn sighted Tuesday was in the vicinity of Taigud Island, Hot Springs Bay, Big Bay, Presidents Bay and between First and Second Narrows.
So far this year the department has observed 74.7 nautical miles of herring spawn on local beaches.
