As demand for Alaska herring roe plummets, the industry seeks markets for the rest of the fish

The arrival of the herring heralds the start of spring fishing in Alaska, and this year’s catch levels in each of the three main areas are record-breaking.

Combined harvests from three major production areas total 118,346 tons, or nearly 237 million pounds.

The figures come from fisheries in Sitka Sound in late March, where this year’s catch is set at more than 45,164 tons (90 million pounds). That will be followed on April 1 in Kodiak, where 8,075 tons (16 million pounds) can be brought in. Alaska’s largest roe herring fishery, off Togiak in Bristol Bay, will begin in May with a staggering 65,107 tons (130 million pounds) of harvest this year. lb).

But again, most of the available fish will not be harvested because there are no buyers.

Since the 1970s, the value of the Alaska herring fishery has been determined by the roe-loaded strands in the female fish. When the huge schools arrive, managers monitor the condition of the maturing females for several days to obtain the highest value product. Only then will they open the fishery to seiners and gillnets.

In the 1990s, the roe herring could be sold for more than $1,000 a ton to buyers in Japan, where the strands are considered a delicacy. At that time, the fishery totaled more than $60 million worth of fishermen. Since then, changing tastes and attitudes in Japan have pushed the value below $5 million in 2020, with catches averaging $0.08 per pound.

And Japan is the only Alaskan roe herring customer.

“It is perhaps the most extreme example of how a large Alaska industry can depend on a highly specialized foreign market. And it’s in stark contrast to the diverse buyers of other Alaska species,” said Gunnar Knapp, a retired University of Alaska fisheries economist.

Most of the herring is frozen whole and shipped in 15lb bags to secondary processors in Seattle or Asia and then sent to Japan. The herring is sorted by sex and the egg strands are “popped” from the females. The males caught as bycatch and the female carcasses are ground into meal for foreign fish farms or simply thrown away. A small portion is sold as bait.

Herring not intended for human consumption amounts to 88% per year.

“It’s like hunting a herd of deer to harvest the liver. Maybe it’s time to call the industry what it is: the fishmeal industry,” K’asheetchlaa Louise Brady of the Southeast Herring Protectors said in a March 2 op-ed in the Juneau Empire.

“Herring is an untapped resource. We get a Togiak herring quota that is largely unharvested because there is no market. We are working with the processing industry to find a market,” said Doug Vincent-Lang, Alaska Commissioner of Fish and Game, of ComFish in Kodiak.

Herring is a mainstay in countries around the world where it is filleted, smoked, pickled, salted and patinated. The fish is mainly supplied by Norwegian fleets and can pay out $1.40 per pound to fishermen.

In Alaska, only Togiak herring are large enough to develop into fillets. Togiak fish can weigh 14 ounces to almost a pound, compared to 4 to 5 ounces for other herring.

A report from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute says herring fillet production in Togiak could boost the first wholesale value to $14.5 million. That compares to an average value of $2.7 million between 2000 and 2019.

To reintroduce herring to American diners, ASMI launched a wildly successful week-long Northwest Herring Week in Seattle in 2016 with approximately 10 high-end chefs. The event was led by ASMI Food Aid Director Bruce Schactler of Kodiak, who received donations of Togiak herring fillets from North Pacific Seafoods. The following year, nearly 60 chefs and restaurants participated.

The Alaska legislature has extended a product development tax to include herring. Marketers must have a ready-made customer before they can take advantage of the tax benefit.

Do I hear Seattle calling?

Ask for AlaSkins – Dogs are “Askin’ for AlaSkins” made from fish skins with a side of CBDs.

The treats, made from halibut, cod, and halibut skins, are the creation of Sara Erickson of Soldotna, who began making and selling them in 2017.

Since then, the small company took second place in the Alaska Symphony of Seafood competition in 2022.

Erickson buys freeze-dried fish skins from local processors. In its small factory in Northern Kenai, the hides are made into rolls or laid flat on drying racks and packaged. Her crew of four also scrapes all the extra meat that goes into a canned product for dogs and cats.

No other ingredients are added.

“AlaSkins is full of protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin A, Potassium, Vitamin D and B12. They don’t need any other ingredients,” Erickson quickly notes.

One of the ingredients is skin laced with CBD oil to reduce pain or stress.

AlaSkins teams up with Homer-based Frontier CBDs to create treats from hemp isolate in combination with wild salmon oil.

“We have not messed with small amounts of CBD. We loaded each treat with 15 mg,” Erickson said.

Erickson is currently building a larger facility to meet growing demand. She imagines it might be a licensed processing facility that could accommodate other entrepreneurs.

The state doesn’t conduct food safety audits on pet food manufacturers, she said, which has blocked AlaSkins from breaking into major markets like Costco. Erickson credited state Sen. Peter Micciche (R-Soldotna) for helping us find a solution to that deal breaker.

“Alaska really needs to start focusing on different revenue streams,” she said. “Instead of just selling our fish, you have to sell the waste. I want Alaska to market this whole line that says Alaska seafood is not just for people, it’s for pets too.”

AlaSkins can be found in nearly 20 outlets from Southeast to Fairbanks and in Erickson’s store at 44109 Sterling Highway in Soldotna.

For a touch of surf and turf, take home some moose dog antlers too.