Herring Fishery: San Francisco Bay Herring Fishery Information

Roe Herring Fishery: There are currently 406 limited entry commercial herring gill net permits in San Francisco Bay. The permits are divided into three platoons each with their own quota assigned in proportion to the number of permits: DH (DH=124 permits) fishes in December; in January, odd-numbered (ODD=141 permits) and even-numbered (EVEN=141 permits) permits alternate fishing weeks until platoon quotas are caught.

Herring Eggs on Kelp Fishery: There are currently 4 permits fishing eggs on kelp in San Francisco Bay using giant kelp (Macrocystis) suspended from rafts in the open-pound method.

In-Season Hotline (San Francisco Bay only): The phone number for the San Francisco Bay in-season herring hotline is: (650) 631-6784.

Throughout the November through March herring spawning season in San Francisco Bay, Department herring staff maintain the Herring Hotline, a recorded message which contains information on herring schools and their location, spawning events, and the status of the fishery. The message is updated several times each week. Callers may leave a message.

• San Francisco Bay Herring Information Page for 2006-2007 Season
• Past Seasons Information Archive