Overview of Russian fisheries in North and Central Atlantic in June 2011
According to estimated figures, in June 2011 the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean and Southeast Pacific increased by 13,800 MT to 88,700 MT. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels also rose to 22%, according to Russian Fish Insider Report published by http://www.megafishnet.com/.
Trawl bottomfish operations in the Barents Sea in June 2011 were conducted by 69 trawlers coming from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin and 32 small inshore boats. Spitsbergen continued the dominating fishing area, where the fleets harvested 29,300 MT (+6,400 MT), including 19,500 MT of cod (+3,500 MT) and 9,000 MT of haddock (+2,300 MT). The total harvest in the Russian waters slightly declined by 700 MT to 11,600 MT on the previous months. In the first half of June 2011 catches were dominated by cod and in the second half of the month - by haddock. The average cod harvest amounted to 5,000 MT (-3,900 MT), cod - 5,800 MT (+2,900 MT). In the Norwegian zone the content of cod and haddock in catches was declining in the course of the month, and in the end of June 2011 the fleet was targeting mostly saithe. The total harvest amounted to 3,200 MT (-6,800 MT), including 1,600 MT of cod, 300 MT of haddock and 1,300 MT of saithe.
Longline bottomfish operations (sea cats and cod) in the Barents Sea were conducted by 10 vessels (8 from Murmansk and 2 from Kaliningrad). The vessels were operating in the waters of Spitsbergen, grey zone and Norwegian EEZ and sometimes in the open part of the sea. The catch rates were in keeping with the previous month.
According to provisional figures, the remainder of the Russian cod and haddock amounted to 41%.
The herring fishery in the open waters of the Norwegian Sea was mostly conducted in the second decade of June 2011 by three Murmansk-based vessels. The fishery situation was non-stable with catches of Lazurny trawler owned by Iceberg Nord Ltd fluctuating within 50-90 MT per day (71 MT on the average). On the herring grounds the bycatch of other pelagic species (mackerel and blue mackerel) was fairly big, namely 23% on the average. In the period under analysis the Russian fleets harvested 1200 MT of herring. From the beginning of the year the total catch amounted to 24,600 MT of herring (16.8% of the Russian quota of 146,300 MT). In the same period of 2010 the harvest totaled 25,300 MT.
The blue whiting fishery in the open waters of the Norwegian Sea was started on 7 June 2011 by Boris Syromyatnikov trawler owned by Murmansk Trawl Fleet. Later on another 7 ships coming from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin joined her on the grounds. The fishery conditions in the course of the month were weak (the average daily catches of refurbished RTMKS trawlers amounted to 57 MT). At the start of the fishing season the bycatch of herring and mackerel was not big growing to 12% by the end of the month. The blue whiting catch amounted to 5,000 MT. The total Russian harvest in the NEAFC waters amounted to 24,200 MT of blue whiting. In the same period of 2010 the Russian fishermen harvested 32,000 MT.
The mackerel fishery in the international waters of the Norwegian Sea took off in the middle of the month (on 16 June namely) by Armenak Babaeyv trawler owned by Kaliningrad-based Westrybflot Company. The fishing operations were complicated by large bycatch of herring (40% on the average), due to which the vessel had to switch to mackerel fishery in the waters of the Faroe Islands. After that the mackerel fishery was continued on 22 June 2011 by BATM Porfirii Chanchibadze large trawler owned by RF FOR. In the end of the month other vessels (up to 6 trawlers from Kaliningrad and 3 from Murmansk) joined the above ship on the grounds. The catch rates were reported as satisfactory with the average daily catches of BATM large trawlers amounting to 79 MT, 100% consisting of mackerel. The June harvest in the open part of the Norwegian Sea amounted to 1,800 MT of mackerel. According to provisional figures, the total catch from the beginning of the year 2011 amounted to 2,100 MT of mackerel (4.2% from the Russian quota of 49,200 MT). In the same period of 2010 the harvest totaled 3,600 MT.
In the waters of the Faroe Islands two ships owned by RPK FOR began the mackerel fishery on 10 June 2011. Gradually in the course of the month a group of large Russian vessels was recruited with Kaliningrad-based trawlers (nine in number) and Murmansk-based trawlers (six). The fishery situation was satisfactory, BATM large trawlers reported catches of 50-90 MT per day, 66 MT on the average. The bycatch of herring and blue whiting was not big. In June 2011 the Russian vessels all together harvested 7,100 tonneso а mackerel. The bulk of the harvest (84%) was contributed by Kaliningrad-based fishermen. The total Russian catch of mackerel in the Faroese fishing zone in January-June 2011 amounted to 7,100 MT accounting for 27.7% of the Russian quota of 25,500 MT.
In the course of the month 2011 the ocean perch fishery in the open waters of the Irminger Sea was conducted by up to 18 trawlers (10 from Murmansk and 8 from Kaliningrad). The fishery situation was good with short declines, the average daily harvest of TSM middle trawlers amounted to 31 MT. The result for June 2011 amounted to 12,900 MT. The fishery of the species by Murmansk and Kaliningrad-based trawlers was progressing at approximately the same rates. From the beginning of the year the total ocean perch harvest amounted to 18,900 MT (64.0% of the Russian quota of 29,500 MT). In the same period of 2010 the harvest amounted to 21,000 MT.
Throughout June 2011 the halibut fishery in the waters of East Greenland was conducted by one Murmansk-based trawler. The catches rates were reported as stable at 7 tonnes per day.
In the waters of the Northwest Atlantic in the NAFO zone three trawlers coming from Murmansk were targeting ocean perch (25 MT per day on the average) and halibut (7 MT per day).
Pelagic fisheries in the Mauritanian EEZ were conducted by 13 Russian trawlers (7 from Murmansk, 3 from Kaliningrad and 3 from Saint Petersburg). In the beginning of the month the fleet was working all over the fishing area, but then focused on two grounds - 1830-1900 North where large fish was concentrating and 1945-2045 North where catches were dominated by small fish. In the middle and second half of June 2011 the vessels were gradually moving northwards from 1830 North to the border of the EEZs of Morocco and Mauritania. Throughout the month the fishery situation was tense and non-stable. In June 2011 catches mostly contained horse mackerel (the average catch per fishing effort fluctuated from 20 to 60 MT), in the end of the month sardinella started to dominate in catches (60-90 MT per ship on the average), and on the closing days of the month horse mackerel stepped forward as the dominating species again (40-60 MT per day). As a result, in June 2011 the Russian fleets harvested 11,700 MT, including 5,500 MT of horse mackerel, 1,500 MT of mackerel and 3,100 MT of sardinella. Kaliningrad-based ships harvested 35% of the above volume. The total Russian catch in January-June 2011 in the Mauritanian waters amounted to 28,100 MT, strongly down on 72,300 MT in the same period of 2010.
In the waters of Senegal BMRTIB Mikhail Verbitsky large trawler owned by Transko Ltd was operating until 8 June 2011. The fishery situation was not satisfactory. The ship's harvest in June 2011 amounted to 100 MT, of which horse mackerel accounted for only 35%, the share of caranx was 23% and anchovy - 26%. The harvest from January to June 2011 totaled 59,700 MT, up from 10,800 MT in the same period of 2010.
Toothfish operations in the Argentinean subarea beyond the economic zone were conducted by two longliners coming from the Russian Far East Fisheries Basin. The fishery situation was satisfactory with the average catches per day amounting to 0.5 MT. The harvest of toothfish in June 2011 amounted to 19 MT, In January-June 2011 - 77 MT.
The horse mackerel in the Southeast Pacific was conducted by two Kaliningrad-based trawlers. The fishery situation was weak and non-stable. The average catch per effort amounted to 38 MT daily, up from 28 MT in May 2011. The horse mackerel harvest in the area amounted to 1,300 MT in June 2011 and 5,100 MT in January-June 2011.