A
biography of Alaska's herring: A little fish of huge importance
By June Allen
Photo: Alaskan purse seiner lifting a catch of herring to the
deck - 1975
Fisheries Collection; Photographer: J. M. Olson; Courtesy National
Oceanic & Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA), NOAA Central
Library
In general, not many people
are interested in herring. It's not exactly a glamour fish. You
won't see a snapshot of a grinning fishermen posing for the camera
while holding up a trophy eight-inch goggle-eyed herring by the
tail. And when was the last time you had baked, fried,
roasted, grilled or pickled herring? The only time most people
come in contact with herring is when they skewer a chunk of it
onto a hook for bait when salmon fishing.
But that small, now-disregarded
fish has always been of great importance to the world! Way back
in Europe's Middle Ages, fishing rights to the oil-rich Atlantic
herring created wars, as OPEC oil does today. Herring continued
to be essential for centuries longer. Herring were the primary
source for oil back in the days before the era of whaling and
the petroleum discoveries of the late 19th century.
The herring is one of the most
important and significant fish species in the world's oceans!
Herring have always been the staple food of all the varieties
of marine life. Herring are the preferred dinner plate not only
for salmon, halibut, cod, red snapper, rock fish and all sorts
of spiny sea creatures, but is a staple for all kinds of seabirds
as well as for marine mammals such as seals, otters, and sea
lions. Even whales relish the oily little fish. Herring travel
in massive and densely packed schools that make succulent and
nourishing dining when scooped up by the great jaws of those
behemoths of the oceans. -
Read the rest of this story by June Allen...
Sunday - March 14, 2004 - 12:40 am
Ketchikan: Ketchikan claims first title in 15
years ; Juneau boys have no answer for Kings' dominating
inside game - The pro-Ketchikan
crowd - delirious with joy - cheered for every score by the Kayhi
boys, delighted in every Juneau misstep and stormed the court
at the final buzzer. - Read
this story...
Juneau Empire - linked
Sunday - March 14, 2004
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