At a pre-season meeting about the Sitka sac roe fishery last week, Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Aaron Dupuis said this year would be a little different than in the past.
“With a reduced fleet size and limited tending and processing capacity, the daily harvest will likely be much lower than what has been observed in past fisheries,” he said.
Dupuis said because of the reduced fleet, fishermen would likely need more time than usual to reach their quota, which is set at 30,000 tons this year. But he said Fish and Game would base decisions about opening entirely on herring conditions.
When asked if the fishery would be a co-op this year, Dupuis and management coordinator Troy Thynes said state management is treating this year as a competitive fishery, though he said fishermen and processors may work out different arrangements.
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