But it is rare for a fishery to operate in an urban area. Herring boats can be seen hugging the shoreline from the Embarcadero to the Sausalito bluffs and Emeryville mudflats. The local fleet works closely with ferry boat operators, shipping lines and pleasure boaters to avoid conflict. Herring boats cannot fish from Friday at noon to Sunday at dusk. Wooden purse seiners have given way to smaller aluminum gill net boats, called bowpickers, with rollers on their bow.
Fishermen mark the location of their nets with bright green and orange buoys.
And their excited shouts and the whir of machinery can be heard on shore as herring are shaken from nets and placed in the hold. But only 44 of the herring fleet's 105 boats are on the bay this year, a sure sign that prospects are dim. Some fishermen figured that, with the high cost of fuel and low quotas, they could not afford it. This year, fishermen do not expect a high price. A layer of herring can stretch for miles.