By Mary Swift-Swan

The herring catch finally heated up in January after a very slow December. November through March, herring spawn in San Francisco Bay. San Francisco herring have a golden roe that is sought after by sushi lovers world-wide. That discovery upped the fish’s popularity and price. With the reduction in school size for the last sixseasons (since the El Niño event of 1997-1998), plus heavy fishing due to high demand, the schools have been greatly reduced. The once unregulated fish declined in numbers, which gave the California Fish and Game two options: reduce the quotas and shorten the season or cancel the 2003-2004 season. The plan for reduced catch quotas will allow the schools of fish to return to strength. In December, very few fish were caught. In mid-January, things changed. Schools of dense numbers finally came into the Bay. The fishermen could hardly wait for the fish sellers in Sausalito to unload their catch so they could get back out there to catch more.

Boats come in every year from all over searching for the silver full of golden roe. After the Japanese were closed out of Russian waters, interest finally settled on the high- quality roe of the herring of San Francisco Bay. Herring are caught when ready to lay their eggs. The egg weight of herring normally runs 10 percent of the overall fish weight. This year, though fewer in number, some have weighed in with up to16 percent roe weight of high- quality golden roe. The rest of the fish is used in a variety of products, but that portion of the value of catch does not compare with the demand for roe.

The downturn in the Japanese economy reduced the demand and price for herring. Golden Roe of San Francisco Bay Herring is a highly prized and expensive gift item, but fewer gifts are being given as evidenced by the selling price dropping. Prices have dropped from a reported $2,000 to $625 a ton.

According to the Fisher hotline, there have only been 645 tons, of the reduced season total of 2200 tons, caught as of January 25th, with an average of 11 percent roe weight. The fleets of fishermen in the Bay are a spectacular sight no matter what the numbers show.