WILLISTON (AP) - This year's paddlefish harvest in northwestern North Dakota was down dramatically from a year ago, after the catch tailed off in the final three days of the season.

Williston-based North Star Caviar, a nonprofit that cleans the fish snagged by anglers for free in exchange for roe to process into caviar, said it handled about 700 fish this year, down from about 900 last year.

Money from the sale of the caviar is used for community grants and to support paddlefish research.

The paddlefish spawn in northwestern North Dakota and eastern Montana, near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. This year's snagging season opened May 1 and closed May 11, when the cap of 1,000 paddlefish snagged was nearing.

Wildlife officials impose a cap to protect the population of the fish. This year was the sixth time in the past seven years that the season has ended early.

The harvest rate during the last three catch-and-keep days of the season was much slower than expected, officials said.

"On the last three days of the fishing season … only 100 fish were taken to the cleaning station," said Fred Ryckman, fisheries biologist with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Darci Grindheim, operations manager for North Star Caviar, said the company processed 1,800 pounds of caviar this year, about 100 pounds less than last year.

"We had 210 fewer fish come through the cleaning station, but only 20 fewer females," she said.

Since 1993, more than $1 million in community grants has been distributed through North Star Caviar, which is a joint venture of the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Fort Union-Fort Buford.

The close of this year's catch-and-keep paddlefish season is being followed for the first time by a seven-day snag-and-release season.