April 19, 2004
Monday

Ketchikan, AK - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today that the West Behm Canal sac roe gillnet herring fishery will not open for the 2004 season. Through Friday, April 16th, the department reported it had not seen enough build up of mature herring or enough miles of spawn to conduct a fishery. While it is possible that more spawn may occur in the area, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said they have not seen the amount of mature herring in the West Behm Canal area to consider conducting fisheries.

In response to today's announcement by the ADF&G, the Ketchikan Area Herring Action Group released a statement. Speaking for the Action Group, Andy Rauwolf stated, "First and foremost, this fishery would probably have taken place right after ADF&G documented the first spawn if it wasn't for the response from the local citizens who sent letters and expressed their protest for this sac roe fishery." Rauwolf stated, "It should never have been scheduled in the first place." The West Behm Canal area is highly controversial since ADF&G wiped out these stocks over 25 years ago and it continues to fluctuate in abundance due to predation and ADF&G's own cost recovery program which gillnets from 40 to 100 tons of the largest fish annually from this area, stated spokesman Rauwolf.

ADF&G said they will be conducting spawn deposition dive surveys over the next several days to determine the amount of mature herring spawning in the West Behm Canal area.

Related Statement:

West Behm Canal Herring Fishery Cancellation by Andy Rauwolf for the Ketchikan Area Herring Action Group...

 

 

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