In Sitka, Łingít fishers share herring harvests with a surprise influx of grey whales

In Sitka, Łingít fishers share herring harvests with a surprise influx of grey whales

An unprecedented whale surge in Alaska waters has changed how humans interact with a vital yaaw fishery. The post In Sitka, Łingít fishers share herring harvests with a surprise influx of grey whales appeared first on High Country News.

In Sheet’ká, Łingít fishers share herring harvests with a surprise influx of grey whales

A grey whale scours the Sheet’ká shoreline on March 30, 2025, likely in search of gáax’w — herring eggs prized by both whales and humans. Photos by Amy Romer This story is co-published with High Country News. Growing up, Yanshkawoo (Harvey Kitka) never saw many grey whales in the waters of Sheet’ká Sound. The Łingít (Tlingít) Elder and subsistence yaaw (herring) fisherman recalled harvesting gáax’w (herring eggs) in his territories before “Alask…