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

According to estimated figures, in January 2012 the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean amounted to 104,900 MT, 25,700 MT up on same month of 2011. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 16%, reports www.megafishnet.com.

Bottom trawl operations in the Barents Sea were conducted by up to 68 middle trawlers (66 of which came from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin and two vessels from Kaliningrad) and 31 small inshore boats based in Murmansk. Due to seasonal peculiarities of stock distribution on the grounds the biggest catches were recorded in the Norwegian EEZ - namely 29,200 MT (+10,900 MT on January 2011), including 27,100 MT of cod (+10,800 MT) and 1,200 MT of haddock. The Russian EEZ contributed 9,200 MT (+1,800 MT), the above figure included 5,900 MT of cod (+1,600 MT) and 3,100 MT of haddock (+300 MT). Catches in the waters of Spitsbergen amounted to 8,400 MT (-5,100 MT) including 6,100 MT of haddock or 73% of the harvest and 1,900 MT of cod (22%). During the first month of the year four Murmansk-based trawlers operating in the waters of Norway reported the total catch of ca.400 MT of mostly polar cod Boreogadus saida.

Cod fishery and other bottomfish longline operations in the Barents Sea were conducted by 7 vessels coming from Murmansk. They were working in three zones: Norwegian EEZ, Grey zone and Russian EEZ. The fishery situation was fairly good, but it was slightly worsening from the beginning to the end of January 2012. The average fishery efficiency amounted to 12-14 MT per day.

According to provisional figures, remainder of the Russian cod quota amounts to 89% and haddock - 93%.

On 19 January 2012 BATM Porfiry Chanchibadze owned by ZAO RF-FOR began spotting and targeting capelin in the Barents Sea. Several days later other vessels joined them on the grounds, therefore by the end of the month there were up to 26 vessels targeting the species (19 Murmansk-based trawlers and 7 Kaliningrad-based ships). The fishery situation was non-stable, the daily harvest of BATM big trawlers fluctuated from 50 to 100 MT. Out of the Russian quota 2012 amounting to 99,000 MT in January 2012 the Russian fishermen harvested 8,400 MT of capelin, of which 39% were contributed by Kaliningrad-based ships. In the year 2011 capelin fishery took off later, on 25 January namely, and by the end of the first month of the year 4,400 MT of capelin were harvested.

RTKSM Kapitan Gorbachyov owned by Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet returned to the herring grounds and began targeting the species as of 1 January 2012. In the course of the month she was joined by another 7 vessels coming from Murmansk. The group was mostly working near the Lofoten Islands on the grounds in between 6730-6920 degrees North, in the closing ten days of the month the vessels moved to the grounds in between 64-66 degrees North. The fishery situation was reportedly good and the catch rates of RTMKS trawlers were recorded at 120-140 MT per day. The total harvest from the year start amounted to 10,300 MT of herring (8.8% out of the Russian quota of 116,800 MT). For comparison, in January 2011 the total herring harvest amounted to 15,900 MT.

On 22 January 2012 BATM Armenak Babayev owned by Kaliningrad-based ZAO Westrybflot began spotting and targeting blue whiting in the waters of the Faroe Islands. The trawler was working in the south of the area. In the very beginning her operations were complicated by the weather conditions, but later on her efficiency reached a fairly good level of 80-90 MT per day. The harvest from the year start amounted to 700 MT (1.4% of the Russian quota of 50,000 MT). In January 2011 the harvest amounted to 1,200 MT.

In the Northwest Atlantic in the NAFO zone two trawlers coming from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin were targeting plaice, halibut, ocean perch and cod in turn. The best catches of 15-30 were recorded for plaice, while for other species the catch rates were approximately the same at 5-11 MT per day.

Pelagic fishery in the waters of Morocco in the course of the month was conducted by 4 vessels based in Russia's Northwest (two from Kaliningrad and two from Saint Petersburg). By the end of January 2012 only Kaliningrad-based vessels continued working in the area. The fishing grounds remained the same in the course of the month: northern grounds at 26 degree North where the fishery of mostly mackerel was conducted by Kaliningrad-based vessels, southern grounds in between 2130-2200 degrees North where Saint-Petersburg trawlers were targeting mixed concentrations of horse mackerel and mackerel. The fishery situation on the both grounds was fairly good in general, Kaliningrad fishermen harvested 70-100 MT per day, and their Saint-Petersburg colleagues harvested 60-100 MT per day. The total catch in the period under review amounted to 5,600 MT, including 4,400 MT of mackerel, 1,300 MT of horse mackerel. In the year 2011 the Russian fishermen started fishery operations in the waters of Morocco only in July.

As of 12 January 2012 BMRTIB Seival big trawler owned by OOO Aliance-Marin from Saint-Petersburg began fishery in the Mauritanian waters and by the end of the closing ten days of the month she was joined by another foreign-built trawl Finval of the same owner. They were conducting spotting and fishing operations nearly all over the area. The fishery situation was tight with the average daily catches of the trawlers fluctuating from 30 to 60 MT with a slight improvement in the end of the month. The total catch through January 2012 amounted to 1,000 MT of mostly horse mackerel (87%). In the year 2011 catches of Russian vessels in the waters of the Mauritanian EEZ in the same month amounted to 3,600 MT.

Pelagic fisheries in the waters of Senegal were conducted by 8 trawlers (6 coming from Murmansk and 2 from Kaliningrad). They were mostly working along the southern border with the Gambian EEZ, in the closing ten days of January 2012 the vessels were operating already nearly all over the area. The fishery situation was non-stable, catches of RTMKS trawlers fluctuated from 30 to 90 MT per day. The total harvest through January 2012 amounted to 9,700 MT including 6,200 MT of horse mackerel, 1,400 MT of mackerel, 900 MT of sardinella and 100 MT of sardine. In 2011 catches through the same period amounted to 10,700 MT.

On 22 January 2012 BATM Kapitan Veselkov owned by OAO Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet returned to the Namibian EEZ to conduct fishery there. The fishing grounds in the course of the month did not change and stayed in between 1930-2010 degrees North. The fishery situation was fairly good. The harvest through the week under review amounted to 600 MT of horse mackerel.

In the Antarctic part of the Pacific Ocean in the Rocca Sea toothfish was targeted by Chio Maru No.3 longliner based in the Russian Far East. Her catches were fairly good at 3-11 MT per day slight worsening by the end of the month.

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