By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The sac roe herring fishery continued in Sitka Sound today despite poor weather conditions, though seiners pulled up less than half of the fish Sunday than they did on Saturday.
The fishery opened again Monday and today following test sets in Hayward Strait and near Lisianski Point Monday morning. This week is the first time the commercial sac roe fishery has opened since 2018.
Fishing began at 9:30 a.m. today with seiners limited to the waters of Hayward Strait and the vicinity of Lisianski Point. The first three days of fishing encompassed a broader area around the southern parts of Krestof Island.
A school of herring is considered marketable when it contains over 10 percent mature roe and is sufficiently large.
On Sunday, the fleet caught 1,250 tons of herring, down from 2,300 tons on Saturday. Harvest data for Monday and today is not yet available.
In January, the department set a guideline harvest level at 33,304 tons, though Fish and Game initially anticipated the total harvest wouldn’t exceed 20,000 tons. The forecast was for 210,453 tons of returning herring this year, with 5-year-old fish making up the bulk of the biomass.
More details have been made public about the seiner that took on water and required assistance Saturday.
“The fishing vessel Sitkinak was taking on water in the vicinity of Hayward Strait. (Marine Safety Detachment) Sitka notified Sector Juneau who directed the Coast Guard Cutter Wahoo, an 87 foot patrol boat, to the scene,” Coast Guard Marine Science Technician 2nd Class Allysia Helton told the Sentinel.
The Coast Guard highlighted the role of nearby boats in the rescue.
The Sitkinak was assisted by several Good Samaritan vessels in the area, including the Nicholas Michael, Grace C, Morning Star, Alinchak and Trinity, Helton wrote. The Wahoo delivered two dewatering pumps to the Sitkinak crew, who were able to dewater the vessel, which was then towed back to Sitka with the help of the F/V Grace C.
The Coast Guard specified that the vessel rolled onto its side, but didn’t sink. No one was injured, and there was no sign of any pollution.
Photos published on nationalfisherman.com depict the Sitkinak listing hard to starboard, with its gunwales beneath the water as nearby vessels provide aid.
