Pacific herring is one of the most important fish species in the Gulf of Alaska. Commercial landings of herring from the Gulf of Alaska exceeded one hundred thousand tons from 1934 to 1939. More recently, herring has been prized, especially by Japanese consumers, for their eggs, or “roe”. In Prince William Sound the fishery harvested about 10,000 tons annually for herring roe during the early 1990’s. Unfortunately, the fishery collapsed in 1993, four years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS). There has been no commercial fishery in Prince William Sound for over a decade.

Herring is also an important species in the ecosystem. Historically, herring has been the most abundant fish species in many locations throughout Alaskan waters. They are the most important forage for many other fishes, marine mammals and seabirds. Unlike pollock, herring overwinter in shallow, protected bays where they are accessible to surface-feeding seabirds and marine mammals. The decline in herring abundance in Prince William Sound that followed EVOS was paralleled by declines in several seabirds, harbor seals and Steller sea lions (Herring Figure 1).

The Prince William Sound Science Center began to monitor the abundance of herring in Prince William Sound in 1993 after fishers could not locate fishable concentrations. Abundance surveys have been conducted at least annually since 1993. More recently, this long series of surveys was used to analyze trends in the herring population and show that the decline of herring began immediately after the EVOS .

Since 2000, PWSSC scientists have explored the link between herring and Steller sea lions . Steller sea lions are an endangered population. PWSSC research shows that Steller sea lions depend heavily on herring for their winter-period food supply.

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council has become concerned about the lack of recovery of herring in PWS. PWSSC scientists are working with the Trustee Council on several projects that will help understand the reasons for the lack of recovery and possible actions that could encourage future recovery.

Figure Legends 1. Figure comparing amount of herring spawn with number of Steller sea lions counted in Prince William Sound