Herring Synthesis: Integrating Archaeology, Local Traditional Knowledge, and History in Southeast Alaska

Pacific herring is a bellwether species of North Pacific marine ecosystems. Today, herring roe fisheries are among the most lucrative, competitive, and controversial in the region. Over the millennia, Alaska Natives have fished for herring as part of their seasonal rounds, but since the late 1800s, the species has been subjected to intensive commercial harvest. To address the gaps in the historical and cultural ecological knowledge of southeast Alaska herring, the authors synthesized archaeological, ethnological, historical, and biological records with data from interviews with herring fishers with local and traditional knowledge (LTK). Our findings show that historical stocks were larger and spawning areas more numerous in the past, and that herring, even in highly productive Sitka Sound, are being managed in a depleted status. Maintenance of diverse spawning locations in southeast Alaska is critical to conserving intra-species biodiversity, and we recommend specific areas for protection and restoration.