Total Herring Catch Now Past 9,000 Tons

By Sentinel Staff

The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery opened for the seventh consecutive day at 10:30 a.m. today in an area around the Magoun Islands. The fishing period was to close at 4:30 p.m., the Department of Fish and Game said in the announcement.

While harvest figures from Thursday are not yet released, seiners netted 1,700 tons of herring Wednesday, bringing the total for the season to 9,000 tons, Fish and Game said. The fishery opened for six hours Thursday around the Magoun Islands in an area slightly farther north than in previous days.

A department aerial survey on Thursday spotted 11.9 nautical miles of spawn along beaches on the east side of Kruzof Island, in Hayward Strait, around Crow Pass and on the south end of Krestof Island. All told, the department has noted 15.6 nautical miles of spawn to date.

The guideline harvest level this year is 45,164 tons.