The Sitka Sound Sac Roe Herring fishery opened for the eighth day in a row on Sunday (4-4-21).
The fishery was open for five hours, and fishermen caught around 1700 tons of herring. According to a press release from ADF&G, the fishery captured around 1400 tons when it was open for two-and-a-half hours on Saturday.
13,800 tons have been harvested since the fishery first opened on March 27. The state has set a guideline harvest level of 33,000 tons.
Beginning today (4-5-21) the fishery will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until ADF&G announces a closure, in the waters of Deep Inlet and Aleutkina Bay, south of Povorotni Point, and north of Aspid Cape except for the waters of Whale and Necker Bays.
State biologists observed over 6 nautical miles of spawn on Sunday during aerial surveys. Just under 15 miles of spawn were observed today/Monday, concentrated along the Kruzof Island shoreline from Shoals Point to Rob Point, near Kresta Point, and on Gagarin and Crow Islands.
Smaller areas of spawn were observed on Middle Island, the Chaichei Islands, Pirates Cove, and near Golf Island.
