Biologists are looking into how a recent diesel spill around 15 miles northwest of Sitka will affect the sac roe herring fishery.
"Aaron Dupuis"
The state has set a record harvest for Sitka herring, but a weak market will keep many of those fish in the water
Seiners landed only 16,000 tons of herring last year, which was just under half of the harvest guideline.
Sitka herring fishery opens for first time in 2 years
Even with a more relaxed fishery, there was one accident on the water over the weekend when a seine boat capsized during Saturday’s opener.
Fish and Game expects smaller fleet and lower daily harvests in Sitka sac roe herring fishery
Fish and Game conducted aerial surveys through the weekend, with schools of herring spotted near Bieli Rock and Vitskari Rocks. The fishery went on two-hour notice Saturday at 8 a.m.
State predicts commercial herring harvest will fall short of annual limit
The annual fishery didn’t happen at all in 2019 and 2020. Most of the herring were young and too small to meet international market demands, and the pandemic posed other challenges in 2020.
Filled reservoirs and better salmon survival are silver linings from this wet, dreary summer
Rainy summers like 2020 can cause flooding and mudslides and can harm people’s mental health. But the rain does have benefits.