Alaska Department of Fish and Game performs aerial surveys of Ketchikan and Sitka herring fisheries – KFSK

The Alaska Division of Fish and Sport accomplished aerial surveys of the Ketchikan and Sitka herring fisheries on March twenty ninth.

For Ketchikan’s fishery, the aerial survey coated Mary Island, Cat and Canine Islands, in addition to the northern shoreline of Duke Island from Kind Level to Grave Level.

In accordance with the Division’s newest report, surveyors noticed elevated predator exercise close to Craig and Klawock, recognizing about 90 sea lions and two humpback whales within the neighborhood of Double Island. They recorded about 2.6 nautical miles of energetic spawn on Double Island and the northern portion of Canine Island, wrapping into Canine Bay. 

Yesterday’s aerial survey of the Sitka fishery coated Sitka Sound from as far south as Windy Passage, Shelikof Bay to the west, and as far north as Salisbury Sound. Surveyors noticed herring faculties in Leesoffskaia Bay, Aleutkina Bay, St. John Baptist Bay, and Sukoi Inlet. 

They recorded about 8.3 nautical miles of energetic herring spawn at St. Lazaria Island, in addition to on the southern and southeastern Kruzof Island shoreline.

Herring predators had been concentrated round Shoals Level and Low Island, close to the Causeway, and south of Peisar [pay-sar] Island. Division and business vessels surveyed Sitka Sound from Harbor Level to Fred’s Creek, in Hayward Strait, and from Indian River to Peisar Island. 

They positioned very massive faculties of herring with sonar close to Inside Level and close to Peisar Island. Quite a few different faculties of herring had been noticed from Harbor Level to Center Island. 

Herring started spawning in Sitka Sound on March 26. Since that date, the division estimates that the cumulative spawn is 11.1 nautical miles. 

The Sitka Sound herring sac roe fishery opened briefly yesterday from 11:45 a.m. till 12:45 p.m. The harvest estimate from Monday’s fishery was roughly 650 tons of herring.

Harvest estimates from these surveys might be included within the Alaska Division of Fish and Sport’s subsequent fishery replace.