By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Subsistence herring roe harvesting began last week in Sitka Sound, although the COVID-19 outbreak has complicated the process from gathering to distribution, Sitka Tribe of Alaska officials said.
“I’m happy to say that our Resource Protection Director (Jeff Feldpausch)... and his family are going to be bringing in some eggs for us to process and distribute,” STA General Manager Lisa Gassman said in an interview late last week. Since then, herring eggs have been distributed to many tribal elders.
Feldpausch and STA’s Resource Protection Department began laying sets and harvesting herring roe last week.
“Right now the spawn is slowly starting to move, the last week or so it’s moved into an area that is conceivable for harvesting,” Feldpausch said today. He noted that his team’s recent efforts have focused on the east coast of Kruzof Island, which is far from ideal for herring roe harvest due to surf, wind, and sand.
Feldpausch said that with no commercial herring fishery this year, his time on the water has been very quiet in comparison to previous years.
He added that “quality (of the roe) is looking pretty good this year – so far it seems to be working out.”
Gassman said roe quality also can be a personal preference.
“It’s subjective. The amount of thickness on the eggs really is a personal preference for people.”
From left, Xannie Borseth, Clara Gray and Mary Ferguson prepare herring eggs this morning in front of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska’s Healing House. STA staff and volunteers spent the morning processing branches of herring roe and the afternoon delivering the branches to tribal elders and others. There is no commercial herring fishery this year. Officials say the quality of roe looks good. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Herring roe is gathered by placing branches in the tidal zones where herring go to spawn.
The branches are then collected and the roe processed.
“Processing means taking it off of trees, cutting it into smaller, more manageable branches so they can be packaged and frozen,” Gassman said,
But the global pandemic has hindered efforts to gather, process, and distribute herring roe to tribal members.
“It’s been a challenge; we sat down and thought up a plan to minimize that risk,” Feldpausch said. All those handling the roe wear masks and gloves, and stay six feet apart, as prescribed in state and federal guidelines to prevent COVID-19 transmission.
“It’s definitely something different we have had to keep in mind as we processed this year,” Gassman said.
For distribution, the Tribe is delivering both by vehicle and by handing out roe drive-up style, Feldpausch said.
Gathering and distribution of herring roe is set to continue until the spawn ends, Gassman said. She noted that all tribal elders over age 55 have already received their herring roe, and the tribe is now distributing to younger citizens.
She specified that there are 416 elders on the Tribe’s traditional foods distribution list.
Call the Sitka Tribe at 907-747-3207 for information regarding the availability of herring eggs and distribution.
