Monday, Oct. 7 marks the opening of the commercial herring food and bait fishery in Kodiak. Despite a near record guideline harvest level [GHL], participation in the fishery continues to be low.
Currently there are only five permits in the 1D gillnet/seine to 60 feet purse herring food and bait fishery, with nine total issued across gear types in Kodiak.
Kodiak fishermen Nate Rose and Darren Platt sent a letter to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) a year ago requesting more limited entry permits be issued for the local food and bait herring fishery.
They said that only one vessel has participated in the fishery for roughly the past 20 years, "despite a desire from other herring fishermen to participate in the fishery, and a demand from additional processors to have access to buy that bait/food herring.”
The two Kodiak fishermen also argued that since herring is used as bait for other commercial fisheries like halibut or tanner crab, having a limited “monopoly” on the herring food and bait fishery would have a negative financial impact on other fisheries as well.
The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission [CFEC] denied a request from the Kodiak fishermen last October to issue more permits for the fishery, but said it would conduct a study to determine if more should be issued in the future.
That study was completed in late September.
Reid Johnson, the research section leader with the commission, said the study determined more permits wouldn’t be warranted due to economic and management factors.
“What was found is that perhaps from an economic perspective, it might be able to support a few permits but not many more," Johnson said. "There just isn’t the GHL there to support a large number of individuals participating in that fishery.”
Although this optimum numbers study is not a final decision, it doesn’t bode well for Kodiak’s food and bait herring fishery. The biomass of herring in the area has been growing in recent years, yet there has been a lack of participation in the fishery.
On top of that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said this year’s guideline harvest level is much bigger than normal - 780 tons, or 1,720,000 pounds.
“The food and bait actual fishery’s guideline harvest level is as large as it’s pretty much ever been. It’s not a record high but it’s a near record high amount. And hopefully fishermen find markets and go out and catch fish," James Jackson, the area biologist for Kodiak Management Area with ADF&G said.
But even with a higher than normal guideline harvest level, it pales in comparison to the thousands of tons of herring that was available in Kodiak’s spring sac roe fishery this year.
Poor market conditions and a lack of participation are some of the issues currently plaguing both of Kodiak’s herring roe, and food and bait fisheries.
But Johnson with the CFEC said a joint committee between the Alaska Board of Fisheries and the commission called the Herring Revitalization committee, which last met in April, is planning to hold another meeting later in October to continue discussing these issues.
