The Last Alaskan Rodeo

Just as daffodils and groundhogs, cherry trees and robins announce the arrival of spring elsewhere, so the sac roe herring fishery spells the end of winter here in Sitka, Alaska. Seine boats with names like Storm Chaser, Perseverance, Leading Lady, Defiant and Invincible begin to appear on our island from points north and south, often rafting to my tugboat here in Eliason Harbor. The herring fleet holds its collective breath -- generally in the smoky air of the Pioneer Bar -- awaiting the green light from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to begin fishing.

It's difficult to argue against the romanticism of the current fishery, which speaks directly to the spirit of Alaskan individualism. Boats engage in strategic gamesmanship in an effort to take "high catch" of the day. Along with being an engaging spectacle, the fishery brings over a million dollars to Sitka's economy -- damaged significantly when the pulp mill closed in 1992 -- "taking the town out of the darkness of winter," as Brandon Ihde, a crew-member on the Star Shadow, and native of Sitka, poetically summed it up to me the other day.

Read the full story:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alaska-herring-fishery_b_3140241