Seiners in the fourth opening of the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery, in 2014. (Rachel Waldholz/KCAW)

The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery will have its first opening at 3:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, March 18), ADF&G has announced.

The fleet will be fishing as a co-op. Fishing will be focused on the west side of Crow Island and likely will not be visible from the Sitka road system.

ADF&G will be issuing updates via VHF radio, on channel 10.

Seiners in the fourth opening of the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery, in 2014. (Rachel Waldholz/KCAW)

The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery will be on two-hour notice starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday (3-18-15), the Alaska Department of Fish & Game announced today.

Fish & Game reported that a test sample taken from a body of herring west of Black Rock showed about 7-percent mature roe, which is low for the commercial fishery. But the Department said that percentage could rise rapidly over the next few days as less mature herring separate out from those ready to spawn.

Fish & Game also conducted an aerial survey of Sitka Sound Monday morning, and reported herring predators concentrated in the areas west and south of Crow Island and Bieli Rock.

This year’s fishery is being conducted as a co-op in response to historically low prices for herring. As a result, Sitka is expecting a much smaller fleet than in recent years.

Fish & Game will hold a meeting for permit-holders and processors at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, in the Westmark Hotel in downtown Sitka. The meeting is open to the public.