Overview of Russian fisheries in North and Central Atlantic in August 2012

In August 2012 the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean amounted to 88,000 MT, 25,900 MT down on the previous month 2012. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to ca.30%.

The bottom trawl fishery of cod and haddock in the Barents Sea was conducted by up to 82 trawlers coming from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin, of which up to 25 small inshore boats. The fishery was conducted mostly in two areas - the Russian EEZ and Spitsbergen, the latter strongly dominating in terms of catch rates. More specifically, Russian catches in Spitsbergen in August 2012 were reported at 26,700 MT (-8,600 MT), including 21,400 MT of cod (-6,600 MT on the previous month) and 4,900 MT of haddock (-2,000 MT). In the Russian EEZ the harvest amounted to 8,000 MT of fish (500 MT up on July 2012), of which cod made 4,200 MT (+100 MT) and haddock - 3,100 MT (+400 MT).

In the Norwegian EEZ up to 9 trawlers coming from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin were conducting dedicated fishery of saithe. The total catch through the month amounted to 1,500 MT (+900 MT), the share of sathe in catches amounted to 91%.

In August 2012 dedicated plaice fishery in the inshore waters of the Barents Sea was continued by up to 19 Murmansk-based vessels (6 middle trawlers and 13 small boats). As compared to July 2012 the plaice harvest declined by 400 MT to 500 MT.

The longliner fleet operating on the bottomfish grounds in the Barents Sea decreased from 6 to 2 in the course of the month under analysis. The fishery was conducted mostly in the waters of Spitsbergen and Russia, and at a much smaller extent in the Norwegian waters. Their total catch amounted to 900 MT (-1,200 MT) of fish. The daily catch rates ranged at 9-15 MT on the average.

According to provisional figures, the remainder of the Russian cod quota amounted to 26% and haddock - slightly less than 25%.

On 22 August 2012 (just like in the previous years) the Russian fleets began targeting crabs in the Barents Sea in the Russian zone. The fishery was conducted by 11 Murmansk-based vessels. Catches fluctuated from 2 to 10 MT per day sometimes rising to 20 MT. The total harvest from the fishery start amounted to 800 MT of crabs.

Sea scallop fishery with short breaks was conducted by foreign-built trawler Kovda coming from Murmansk. Her average daily harvest ranged from 2 to 14 MT worsening in the end of the month.

On 23 August 2012, after bad luck in herring spotting in the open part of the Norwegian Sea, Kaliningrad-based trawler Kurshskaya Kosa began targeting herring in the waters of Jan-Mayen. Later on other vessels joined them after they moved from mackerel grounds. The total fishing efforts in the area amounted to 11 trawlers (4 Murmansk-based vessels and 7 vessels from Kaliningrad). At first, the situation was unstable (catches of RTMKS super trawlers fluctuated from 80 to 120 MT per day), but in the end of the month under analysis it stabilized and super trawlers reported catches of 130-180 MT per day. The total harvest in August 2012 amounted to 4,200 MT of herring, of which 43% were contributed by Kaliningrad-based vessels. The catch from the beginning of the year 2012 amounted to 17,200 MT of herring (14.7% of the Russian quota of 118,600 MT). For comparison, in the same period of 2011 the harvest amounted to 40,700 MT.

In the closing ten days of August 2012 in the open part of the Norwegian Sea two trawlers based in Murmansk were targeting blue whiting. The fishery concentrated in the south of the area. The fishery situation was weak, daily catches amounted to 15-30 MT and the harvest through the month amounted to 300 MT of blue whiting. The total harvest in the open part of the Norwegian Sea from the beginning of the year amounted to 14,000 MT. Besides, 21,500 MT of blue whiting were harvested in the NEAFC waters to the west of the economic zone of the British Isles.

Mackerel fishery was conducted by 26 Russian vessels (15 from Murmansk and 11 from Kaliningrad) in the open part of the Norwegian Sea and the Faroese Islands. Most of the trawlers were operating in the both areas. The main fishery was concentrated in the waters along the border (both sides) of the Faroese fishing zone to the border of Jan-Mayen. The fishery situation was fairly good. In the open part of the Norwegian Sea the average daily catches were higher than in the Faroese fishing zone, because catches of BATM big trawlers correspondingly made 60-110 and 60-90 MT. The harvest through August 2012 amounted to 30,800 MT of mackerel of which in the open part of the sea the fishermen harvested 19,500 MT and in the Faroese waters - 11,300 MT.

From the beginning of the fishing season in the open part of the Norwegian Sea the Russian fishermen harvested 61,200 MT of mackerel (98.7% of the Russian quota of 62,100 MT). In the same period of 2011 the harvest amounted to 55,100 MT.

In the waters of the Faroe Islands the Russian harvest amounted to 12,300 MT of mackerel or 98% of the Russian quota of 12,500 MT). The respective result of 2011 amounted to 18,300 MT.

On 25 August 2012 the Russian fishermen began targeting ocean perch in the open part of the Norwegian Sea. In the previous years the fishery also took off in the closing ten days of August. The fishery situation was weak with daily catches of TSM trawlers reported at 2-6 MT on the average. The total catch from the fishery start amounted to ca.300 MT of ocean perch. The quota of 7,500 MT in the open part of the Norwegian Sea has been allocated to all member states and is to be harvested under the Olympic system.

The fishery of ocean in the Irminger Sea was mostly conducted in the NAFO zone and only in the closing ten days of August 2012 it concentrated in the NEAFC waters. Ocean perch was targeted by 9 Russian vessels (2 from Murmansk and 7 from Kaliningrad). By the end of the month nearly all the vessels ceased fishery and the last vessel left the fishing area on 27 August 2012. The fishery efficiency depended on the area. More specifically, in the NAFO waters daily catches of TSM trawlers were 10-20 MT on the average, while in the NEAFC waters they were reported at 2-8 MT. The total result through the month amounted to 2,100 MT of ocean perch (-1,500 MT), most of which (91% namely) were contributed by Kaliningrad-based fishermen. The total catch from the fishery start amounted to 21,300 MT (72.3% of the Russian quota of 29,500 MT). In 2011 the Russian harvest by the end of August amounted to 22,000 MT.

The halibut fishery in the waters of East Greenland until 13 August 2012 was conducted by foreign built trawler Melkart-3 based in Murmansk and TSM Ostankino coming from Kaliningrad. The commercial quota was nearly exhausted.

On 1 August 2012 Murmansk-based trawler Amerlog began targeting halibut in the waters of West Greenland, in the second half of the month Melkart-3 joined her. Their average daily catches were recorded at 6-11 MT, the total harvest through the month amounted to ca.400 MT.

In the Northwest Atlantic in the NAFO zone ocean perch fishery until 4 August 2012 was conducted by Murmansk-based trawler Severnaya Zemlya.

On 25 August 2012 Murmansk-based TSM trawler Oma started harvesting mackerel and horse mackerel in the underwater hills to the north of the economic zone of the Canarian Islands. The fishery situation was weak, catches ranging from 10 to 20 MT per day on the average.

In the waters of Mauritania pelagic fisheries were conducted by up to 11 Russian trawlers (5 from Murmansk, 2 from Kaliningrad and 4 from Saint Petersburg). The vessels were operating nearly all over area from 1650 degree North to the border of the Moroccan EEZ. The fishery situation in the source of the month. The fishery efficiency in the course of the month was stably weak, catches of refurbished RTMKS amounted to 10-40 MT per day with single catches of up to 80 MT. Sardinella dominated in catches, though in the closing ten days of the month the share of horse mackerel increased. On 31 August 2012 all the vessels finished fishery because due to introduction of the 20-mile zone by Mauritania the fishery turned out to be unprofitable. The total harvest through August 2012 amounted to 8,100 MT (-10,100 MT), including 4,500 MT of sardinella and 2,500 MT of horse mackerel. The total harvest from the beginning of the year in the waters of Mauritania amounted to 65,400 MT compared to 42,600 MT in the same period of 2011.

In the Namibian EEZ two BATM trawlers coming from Murmansk were targeting horse mackerel with some breaks. Their catch rates amounted to 70-90 MT per day. The total catch in the course of the month amounted to 1,700 MT (+500 MT). The Russian harvest in the Namibian waters in the first eight months of the year totaled 23,000 MT.

Russian harvest of main commercial species in North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic in January-August 2012