After a week on two hour notice, the Sitka Sound Sac Roe Herring Fishery opened twice over the weekend. 

According to a release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the fishery opened for 8 hours on Saturday (3-27-21). It re-opened on Sunday morning at 10:45 and closed at 6 p.m.

Area Management Biologist Aaron Dupuis said seiners caught around 2300 tons on Saturday, but didn’t have data from Sunday’s harvest yet. He said the fleet is smaller this year–around 20 seiners and four processors are participating.

“It’s been pretty relaxed,” he said. “Just the size of the fleet. Everything is really tightly controlled. So it’s not the usual bumper boats, wild, shoot-out fishery a lot of people are accustomed to. It’s pretty relaxed out there.” 

State biologists predict 210,000 tons of herring will return to Sitka Sound this spring, the highest forecasted return since ADF&G started collecting data in the 1970s. The guideline harvest level (GHL) for the fishery is 33,000 tons, but the state predicts the fleet is unlikely to hit that mark. 

Historically, the fishery has been fast and competitive. But due to a smaller fleet and a limited number of processors, Dupuis thinks daily harvests will be lower than usual, and it will take the fleet longer to reach its quota.

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.

“But we looked over and saw that fishing vessel rolled over pretty hard and he was starting to take on water. Good Samaritan vessels were able to get over there and keep the boat from going down,” he said. “It doesn’t sound like any diesel fuel or any other pollutants got released from that boat out of that boat.”

Dupuis said Good Samaritan vessels helped bring the boat back to town. He was not aware of any injuries associated with the accident.

It’s the first time the fishery has opened in two years, and its return has been met with some resistance. A group of local activists known as the Herring Protectors have gathered outside of ADF&G offices to protest the fishery several times since the fishery went on two-hour notice. In 2018, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska sued the state over management of the commercial fishery- the case is still being litigated. 

Editors Note: This story was updated at 7 p.m. on Sunday (3-28-21). This is a developing story and may be updated when more information about today’s opening is announced. Raven News will provide continuing coverage of the fishery in the coming weeks. Read previous coverage from 2021 here:

-Herring fishery remained on two-hour notice this week
–Sitka Sac Roe Herring Fishery goes on two hour notice Saturday
-‘Herring Protectors’ gather at Sitka’s courthouse as commercial fishery gears up
-Court hears more arguments from Tribe, state on herring fishery

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is expecting another underwhelming year for pink salmon in Southeast. 

According to a preseason forecast released on Wednesday (11-20-19), the estimated 2020 harvest is around 12 million fish, far below the ten-year average of 35 million.

Since 2006, more pink salmon have been returning to Southeast waters in odd-numbered years than in even-numbered years, for the most part. But the 2020 forecast still  falls below the recent even-year average, which is about 20 million fish. 

Andy Piston of Fish and Game says it’s hard to determine the exact cause of the decline. Warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change could be a factor, both in terms of fish mortality and in changing migration routes. Piston says the recent drought years haven’t helped, either. 

“We haven’t had any huge die-offs, but we’ve had a lot of situations where fish are having to hold for extended periods of time,” Piston said. “We’ve had extremely low waters in a lot of spawning grounds which adds stress to the fish, they have to mill about in warmer waters for longer periods of time.” 

He adds that this forecast is in line with a general downward trend in pink harvests in recent years, following a record-setting catch in 2013. The forecast specifically cites low escapement rates since 2012 in the Northern Southeast Inside subregion. 

The final number for the 2019 pink salmon harvest throughout Southeast is expected to come in at just over 21 million fish. 

Southeast Alaska’s winter troll season for king salmon has gotten off to a little better start in 2019. 

Commercial landings and number of fish caught are up from last year. However, both still lag behind five- and ten-year averages for this point in the season. 

Perhaps the most encouraging sign was the opening price of $12 per pound. Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Grant Hagerman says that’s the highest starting point on record.

“At this time last year the price had increased over the first month and it was just under 12,” Hagerman said. “So it’s pretty similar to last year. But starting out at 12 dollars is the highest that we’ve had on record.” 

Hagerman suspects the price may be a simple case of supply and demand following a less productive summer season. 

“With a lower abundant year, I think with just catch ceilings throughout the west coast down for the summer fishery, there may not have been as much fish hitting that market in the summertime,” he said. “And so there might be more of a demand for these winter kings now.” 

Over 5,700 chinook have been caught so far. District  13 — off the west coast of Baranof Island — has seen the highest number in Southeast, with close to 2,000 fish. 

The average weight of 11.5 pounds is consistent with the ten-year average. 

Effort is also up this year across Southeast, with 188 permits compared to 141 at this time last year.  

(Photo provided by the University of Alaska Southeast – Sitka Campus)

Academic Advisor Amelia Budd and Fisheries Technology professor Joel Markis of the University of Alaska Southeast are discussing what’s coming up this Fall on the Sitka Campus. The fall admissions deadline is August 15th and classes start August 28th.

They go in-depth talking about the available courses and programs that students will be able to take advantage of this coming semester. There will be fisheries classes and the Sitka START scholarship program among other opportunities. Scuba diving is offered in the spring.

Downloadable audio.

“I know it still feels like summer and everybody’s involved in their summer activities, but we do need to start thinking about what’s coming around the corner and deadlines are looming,” Markis said.

The Fall admission deadline is August 15th and students can apply on the  UAS Sitka website.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said scuba diving was offered in the fall. It is available only in the spring. 

Mike Baines sets hemlock branches in 2010. Herring deposit their eggs on the branches, which are then harvested for use as a traditional food. (KCAW file photo by Ed Ronco)

A proposal to require permits for subsistence herring roe harvesters was unanimously rejected by the Sitka Fish & Game Advisory Committee on Tuesday.

The proposal was brought forward by the Southeast Herring Conservation Alliance. Executive Director Steve Reifenstuhl says he introduced the idea for subsistence roe permits because claims of a poor harvest have been used as a wedge issue against the fishery.

“Throughout the state, it’s not required to have a permit, or to weigh or show your harvest. And I fully support that,” Reifenstuhl said. “But when the harvest is being used to try to shut down a fishery or try to curtail a fishery or to restrict the area where it can fish, it’s a whole different matter.”

The measure was considered on the same agenda as proposals to establish subsistence-only zones in Sitka Sound. Those were also rejected by the advisory committee.

Reifenstuhl said requiring subsistence permits for herring roe would ensure an accurate measurement of how much is gathered. But those speaking on behalf of subsistence harvesters said the proposal is wasteful of both state time and, potentially, the herring eggs being harvested.

“You’re requiring subsistence herring harvesters to go out and do something that no other subsistence harvester is required to do, which is discriminatory against the subsistence harvesters,” said Jeff Feldpausch, resource protection director for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. “And if you want to take that a step further, the subsistence report shows that most of those subsistence harvesters are Native Alaskans.”

The proposal was one of several that failed to earn committee approval Tuesday night. Only one measure – to allocate 1,000 tons of the commercial sac roe quota to a bait fishery, was recommended.

All the measures will go to the Board of Fish when it meets in Ketchikan in February.