Thanks to more lenient fishing regulations and the current price of $550 per ton of herring, the Alaskan fishery enjoyed a very profitable day of operation, The Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News said Saturday.

Local fisherman Chip Treinen said the fishery's nets were so full of the fish Wednesday they had to be pumped into the boat while still in the water.

"For those of us who were in the area ... we were like kids in a candy store," he told the Daily News.

Also aiding fishermen was the fact the herring were residing in shallow waters, meaning the fish were unable to swim deeper when the fishing nets hit the water.

Fishing regulations were eased this year after state biologists decided the spawning herring would reach record numbers.