November 29, 2010
Monday

This is largely in response to Kevin Kristovich's letter. You are a lifelong local so you probably remember when as late as the mid 90's Tongass Narrows was teeming with herring every December through January. People jigged bait and pickling herring off the docks. Some used small seine's to harvest bait for longlining shrimping etc. Prior to that East Behm Canal also had a large herring population. Kah Shakes roe herring fishery just suddenly collapsed, along with most of the local herring stocks.

Herring rely on a large biomass for survival as they are the heart of the food chain. The North Atlantic stocks took over 50 years to partially recover from the result of the herring stocks crashing. West Behm canal is the only healthy remaining herring biomass in this area. You spoke of the money spent in this community by the herring fleet, a couple of days long fishery, from a 100 or so people who largely live and eat on their boats. How much money is spent and

left in this community by the thousands of sport fisherman who come here? Clover Pass area is the second most productive sports fishing area in the state of Alaska. The fish are here because they have food. If I held a roe herring permit I would be pushing for a roe herring fishery, but for the economic good of Ketchikan I believe this is a bad idea.

Sincerely,

R.K. Rice
Ketchikan, AK

About: "Former salmon troller. 30 + years Ketchikan resident."

Received November 27, 2010 - Published November 29, 2010

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RE: Herring By Kevin Kristovich

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