The Sitka sac roe herring fishery has shut down early this year, falling 8,330 tons short of this year’s guideline harvest level. This is the fourth time in six years the herring fishery has shut down before meeting the quota. Early closures also happened in 2016, 2013, and 2012.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game made the closure announcement over VHF radio at 11 a.m. this morning (04-03-18), after aerial surveys failed to spot herring schools of marketable size.
Area management biologist Eric Coonradt said the decision was made in consultation with processors who found the fish too small for market standards. Processors buy herring from the fleet and harvest roe for sale to Japan.
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