Monday, May 28, 2012

Togiak herring catch is coming up short

The Togiak sac roe herring season closes for seiners at 10 o'clock tonight. Gillnetters, however, can keep fishing.

The seine fleet has caught 13,084 tons of herring, representing 86.4 percent of its allocation, the Department of Fish and Game reports.

Gillnetters are running way behind, having caught 2,870 tons or 44.2 percent of their allocation.

With a grand total of 15,954 tons taken, it would appear the harvest won't reach the preseason quota of 21,622 tons.

But maybe that will prove to be a good thing in terms of price.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hopefully this lack of herring that started in the SE and moved it way West isn't the beginning of a crash. Overfished for the eggs.

Anonymous said...

If this "lack" of herring is the pattern, then perhaps the Norton Sound run will come up lean as well.

Anonymous said...

i propose we set the quotas for sitka and togiak next year at,say wait i got to through the dart!ah ok 50000 ton,wow thats strange it hit bulls eye at 50000 for both fisheries for next year!!!now you can all plan like it's money in the bank boys.let her gooooo!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

We got another genius above that's gonna save us all boys, I get a kick outta you guys, probably an Obama lover too..........

Anonymous said...

I've made more money under Obama than I ever did under any republican. A vote for that draft dodging Romney is a vote for the pebble mine. I'm sorry but any religion that forbids coffee shouldn't have a member running the country. What happened to the republican party?

Anonymous said...

You work for TSA security??? I think I got to third base with you the other day???

Anonymous said...

Get a room guys, herring is the issue, and have some faith in the adf&g their doing the best they can.............

Anonymous said...

Once again the Dept. and its model does not work. When will the managers wise up and recognize that they know very little about herring stocks and their value to the eco system. Their spawn deposition using the linear miles they see spawn is outdated and clearly inaccurate at predicting run strength. We saw a reduction of nearly 50% of the sitka stocks this spring and now see a disturbing trend with the Togiak stocks. Tick Tock. Time is running out.

Anonymous said...

It's the same "save them for forage fish" guy. Do adding 3 question marks and/or 5 exclamation marks really make your question or comment more powerful? Something like I really, really, really think I should manage herring fisheries? Or better yet, I really, really, really feel the fishery should be closed because the price is too low?

Anonymous said...

The reason you made more money during the Obama admin (as you claim) has nothing to do with Barack or his policies. Most AK fisheries are experiencing decent volume and high prices because the dollar and interest rates are low and the Chilean fish farms have been off line. Better keep your cash. We're in for another round of tough slogging.

Anonymous said...

I am a Togiak resident and have submitted numerous proposals to the ADF&G to restrict and or close the fishery all together. The ecosystem can no longer take the abuse from mismanagement and will be stopped. Sac Roe fishery = strip the roe throw the 450 gram herring meat back to the ocean. 80 dollars a ton .04 cents a pound

Anonymous said...

Good for you Togiak resident. Keep at it. ADF&G is a broken system and they are out of touch with reality.

Anonymous said...

For Anonymous who doesn't like the question marks; Do you not even care a little bit that the Dept. has missed the mark by almost 1/2 in sitka and now in Togiak? You sound like a throwback to the days when we thought our resources were unlimited. Get smart my friend. Times have changed. We have over-fished many species in alaska to the point that some fisheries are closed, and probably forever. Misunderstanding the value of the herring resource and mis-managing it will eventually lead to an eco disaster. We are already on that path. Maybe you should ask some questions relevant to the topic. You might learn something.

Anonymous said...

If you want a history lesson on how to completely destroy a herring fishery, look at Kachemak Bay. Not only once, but twice, was that fishery killed. It is astounding to read about the biomass that once thrived there. I had the good fortune of talking with old-timers that, even after the first wipe-out, recalled dock pilings covered with roe in Halibut Cove in the 40's.

Anonymous said...

Just because the quota was not caught does not mean the biomass was not there in Togiak. Lots of issues this year on the catching processing side.

Anonymous said...

Ok here's the lowdown on why Togiak herring catch is coming up short. There is a huge lack of effort. There were 16 seiners and 18 gillnetters registered. Furthermore procession capacity was limited. Processors put the fleets on limit after big days. ADF&G surveys documented 124,000 tons. The projected biomass was 123,000 tons. The fish stocks are strong, the effort is weak. There you go, all without multiple question marks and exclamation marks. No questions needed.

Anonymous said...

Been wanting to say that thank you. Didn't want to waste my breath and get bombarded with negativity, but yes those are the facts.

Anonymous said...

so how about you tel those that do not know why the effort is only 16 seiners.

Anonymous said...

My guess is that "the effort is only 16 seiners" in this fishery is because of the high cost of everything and fishing for .04/lb doesn't make financial sense anymore.

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Another voice of reason. Even though there are plenty of fish, it's simply not economical. For those that think they can make a buck, good luck.

Anonymous said...

wrong guess. anybody else?? Hint....its been like this since 2000.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry no one wants to play your little game. We men are too busy running companies and/or preparing for upcoming seasons. Perhaps you might enjoy the Deadliest Catch video game being that interaction is what you are seeking.

Anonymous said...

If indeed "there are plenty of fish" and if I was fishing herring, I'd be the fastest working fisher out there in the waters. The faster you work, the more you catch.

Anonymous said...

Easy there speedy, you're going to wear yourself out before you even start.

Has anyone seen jimmy?

Last I saw him he was whipping his arms around so fast that he lifted off.

Thanks for the good laugh whippersnapper!

Anonymous said...

"it's been like this since 2000", now that's a voice speaking the truth. 12 year crash - that's a long, long time.

Anonymous said...

To "We men" who "are to busy running companies and/or preparing for upcoming seasons.", it's only a matter of time before you are out of a job because the resources that were once bountiful are in trouble. Except of course for the Copper River red salmon run this summer.

Anonymous said...

The 16 are there only because the buyers will not allow any more than that to fish. the cozy 16 that are the favorites of the buyers. There is room for a few more, but this fishery is completely run by the buyers. The biomass is as healthy as ever, and F&G just lets the buyers manage it. It's an extremely low value fishery now and like the Dutch Harbor Bait fishery it is completely taken over and controlled for a few by the buyers. Maybe something will change it to bring back some value to it soon.

Anonymous said...

Ummmmmm, "F&G just lets the buyers manage it." - that's what's happening in the Norton Sound with the CDQ program, NSEDC. They are managing everything for the State, right down to who is who and who isn't in anything fisheries. That is not the intent of the CDQ program and it's wrong. A Public Monies Monopoly and it was given to a handful of men on a silver platter. The CDQ program - billions of dollars and no State or Federal Oversight. Not one penny tracked.

Anonymous said...

The Norton Sound Herring Fishery was cancelled due to ice problems.

It'll be interesting to see who will get to fish for herring bait for NSEDC, the regions CDQ monopoly fisheries program paid for by the peoples dime.