Come to the Sitka Public Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on Monday night, April 8, for a presentation and conversation by Peter Bradley about the history of commercial herring fishing in Southeast Alaska and its impacts on the traditional harvest of herring.

Using excerpts from Alaska Department of Fish & Game research reports, Alaska Board of Fisheries meetings, Daily Sitka Sentinel articles, and various other sources, Peter will share some notes and observations from my ongoing research into the history of commercial herring fishing in Southeast Alaska and Sitka Sound. Although Peter will highlight some of the early history of herring fishing from 1878-1970, he will mostly focus on the 1970s, 80s, and 90s in an attempt to demonstrate some of the ways that the fishery has evolved over the years into what it is today.

Throughout, he will offer an outline to the long history of opposition to herring fishing in Southeast Alaska and will share some ideas about why there is such a discrepancy between widespread local observational knowledge and ADF&G data.

After the presentation Peter will open up for questions and conversation, recognizing that what he has been looking at is only a small part of the story.