Harvests continued in the Sitka Sound herring sac roe fishery in late March, with the cumulative harvest as of March 26 at 13,543 tons, of a guideline harvest level of 14,649 tons, down slightly from 14,941 tons in 2016.
“Last year we got about two-thirds of it, and then ran out of quality fish to go after,” said Eric Coonradt, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist in Sitka.
Forty-eight commercial vessels are registered for the fishery.
Preliminary reports showed that those on the grounds on March 25 made a delivery estimated at 5,200 tons.
Meanwhile in the Craig area of Southeast Alaska, ADF&G personnel were on the grounds, monitoring the fishery on a daily basis throughout the Craig spawning area, amidst rain, fog and high winds.
Biologists said two miles of spawn was observed in San Christoval Channel, two and a half miles of spawn was observed in the northern area of San Alberto Bay by Point Ildefonso, and a mile and a half of spawn was observed around Fish Egg Island.
Predator activity suggests continued spawning in all of these areas, biologists said.
