In this distinctively Alaskan view, a commercial fishing boat remains docked at Hoonah Harbor. This small community on the northeast shore of Chichagof Island is 40 miles from the capitol, Juneau. Today, this separation forces islanders to depend on seaplanes for a majority of its goods and services from the mainland. The majority of the population are Tlingit peoples and have a strong tie to the sea around them. Fishing is all important, a vital economic part of the local economy.
This Picture of the Day, with a workboat lying idle, is a reminder that the ocean's plenty is not boundless. The old ideas of unlimited bounty are slowly fading. North Atlantic halibut have been extremely depleted. Quota-based allocations have been in place since 1995. Halibut, a favorite of the Tlingit, are slow to mature and begin reproduction at age eight. This mature flatfish is known to weigh over 600 pounds and may reach lengths over eight feet long.