Back in 1987, the Sitka Sac Roe Herring Fishery was the crown jewel of the industry, hailed as the “Million Dollar Fishery.” A captivating documentary from that era offers a nostalgic glimpse into the past, unraveling the technological and environmental challenges fishermen faced in predicting the unpredictable: the timing of the herring spawn. The film beautifully captures the essence and grandeur of the fishery, transporting viewers to a time when the community thrived on the rhythm of the sea.
Today, the narrative has shifted. The once-lucrative fishery has seen better days, yet an unexpected turn of events is stirring the waters. The herring are returning in numbers unseen for years, revisiting long-forgotten spawning grounds along the West Pacific Coast. This resurgence is more than a mere anomaly; it’s a reminder of the fishery’s former glory and a hopeful note for the future, perhaps marking the beginning of a new chapter in the fishery’s storied history. Thanks to Andy Joyce for the upload! Learn a bit more below.
“In 1987, the Japanese Yen overshadowed the value of the US Dollar by about 40 percent going into the herring season. With that much purchasing power, the economic ripples caused a significant ex-vessel price spike. More than 30 processing companies had vessels on the grounds with a fleet of drab green Japanese trampers anchored nearby. Another pivotal factor was that herring roe, kazunoko, continued to be the food of choice during Oseibo, the Japanese Christmas season.
With ex-vessel prices running north of $1,000 a ton and guideline harvest levels (GHL) set between 12,000 and 30,000 short tons, there was always that chance for a million-dollar set. But there wasn’t much time to get it. During the heyday, around 300 seiners and 500 gillnetters participated in the fishery. That meant purse seiners could catch upwards of 25,000 tons in less than a half-hour. We saw single openings of 20 minutes and even 15 minutes.
In some years the fishing fleet and its tenders, floating processors, fuel barges, and vessels in the peripheral industries created a yellow smog, visible from nearly 50 miles out and spawned the joke that in May Togiak becomes Alaska’s largest city, albeit a floating one.
Though we never saw a million-dollar set in the Togiak seine fishery, several sets in 1987 and 1988 came in at about half that. It wouldn’t be until 2008 when the Infinite Glory, a seiner in the Sitka fishery, circled and pursed on 1,500 tons for a grand haul of around $1 million.” From the article below:
The Million Dollar Set!
