Southeast sea cucumber divers get Oct. 19-20 openings as Gravina nears its cap

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will open commercial sea cucumber diving in 19 Southeast areas Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 20, under an order issued Thursday. Most areas open 8 am to 3 pm Monday and 8 am to noon Tuesday, with full hours listed in the Oct. 15 advisory.

The West Shore of Gravina Island gets just two hours, 8 am to 10 am Tuesday. Divers have taken 76,300 pounds there, leaving 5,600 of its 81,900-pound guideline harvest level, the cap set for each area. Gravina's window has shrunk each week: seven hours Monday and two Tuesday at the Oct. 5 opening, then five hours Monday at the Oct. 12 opening.

Zimovia Strait and Anita Bay open Monday only, with 19,600 of 63,000 pounds remaining.

Seven areas show no harvest yet: Boca de Quadra; East Dall Island and Soda Bay; Bradfield Canal, Blake Channel and Eastern Passage; Southeast Baranof; Southeast Admiralty; Baranof Island Shoreline, Necker and Rakof islands, West Crawfish Inlet and Crawfish Inlet; and Sitka Sound. Figures for Northern Ernest Sound, Stikine Strait and Chichagof Passage, Seymour Canal and Northern Chatham Strait are confidential.

Divers have landed 307,800 of 1,397,600 pounds this season, leaving 1,089,800 pounds. A week earlier, 139,600 pounds had been landed. As Alaska News reported Oct. 9, the season opened Oct. 5 with a cap down 18% from last season. The 2025/26 season summary shows divers fell 11% short of that year's 1,706,100-pound cap, landing 1,518,700 pounds worth about $4.4 million.

This season runs through March 31, 2027. Under a Board of Fisheries rule, it can be extended by emergency order to April 30 if harvest remains under area caps and there is market demand.

Fishers must verify statistical area, pounds harvested and any overages with the tender or processor before signing fish tickets. Department offices are closed Monday for Alaska Day. The next advisory is due Thursday, Oct. 22.