 There has been no commercial harvest in the area since 1988 with the exception of a brief harvest in 1993.In March 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef southwest of Cordova causing one of the most devastating environmental disasters in North America.The Exxon Valdez oil spill severely affected the area's salmon and herring populations leading to a recession of the local fishing-reliant economy as well as disrupting the general ecology of the area.