Project Information

Title: Investigations of Disease Factors Affecting Declines of Pacific Herring Populations in PWS 97162-SUPP

Project Year and Number: 1997: 97162-SUPP

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 1999: 99162-A, 1999: 99162-B, 1998: 98162, 1997: 97162, 1996: 96162

Principal Investigator (PI): Richard Kocan (University of Washington)

Managing Agency: ADFG

Assisting Personnel: Chris Kennedy, Gary Marty

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Pacific Herring

Abstract: When the Pacific herring population in Prince William Sound crashed in 1993, commercial fisheries were closed. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus was a major cause of population decline. In 1994, the virus was isolated from 5% of fish in Prince William Sound, but in 1996 the virus was not isolated from any fish sampled from Prince William Sound or Sitka Sound. By comparison, the virus was isolated from 21% of fish sampled from the 1996 spawn-on-kelp pound fishery in Craig, Alaska. Because the pound fishery will be reopened in Prince William Sound in 1997, this project will study the prevalence of virus in fish and water associated with the pounds. Results will be compared with approved field and laboratory studies to determine if virus in pound fisheries threatens population recovery.


Proposal: Not Available

Reports:
Final Report: See Project 98162

Publications from this Project: None Available