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

In May 2012 the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean amounted to 80,100 MT, 34,700 MT down on the previous month 2012. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels also declined from 20% to 17%, reports www.megafishnet.com.

The bottom trawl fleet operating in the Barents Sea decreased to 68 middle trawlers and 25 small inshore boats coming from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin. Unlike recent three months the main fishing scene shifted from the Norwegian waters to Spitsbergen. More specifically, in the waters of Spitsbergen the harvest amounted to 20,000 MT, 16,200 MT up on April 2012. Catches were dominated by haddock, which accounted for 59% (11,700 MT) of the harvest, while cod catches amounted to 40% (8,000 MT) of the harvest. The catch in the Russian waters remained in keeping with the previous month - at 13,000 MT, balance of cod and haddock catches changed but slightly - 9,200 MT of cod (+200 MT) and 3,800 MT of haddock (700 MT). In the Norwegian EEZ the fishermen harvested 3,600 MT (-32,300 MT) including 1,600 of cod (-20,400 MT) and 1,700 MT of haddock (-7,600 MT).

Dedicated saithe fishery in the Norwegian waters was conducted by up to 18 trawlers coming from Murmansk. The total harvest through May 2012 amounted to 2,000 MT of which saithe accounted for 77%.

In the Russian EEZ up to 13 small trawlers from Murmansk were engaged in dedicated flounder fishery. Their harvest remained on a par with the previous month - namely at 300 MT.

Cod and sea at longline fishery in the Barents Sea was conducted by 10 Murmansk-based vessels. They were mostly working in the waters of the Grey Zone, Spitsbergen and the Russian EEZ, at a smaller extent in the Norwegian EEZ. Catches remained at the level of April - 9-15 MT per day.

According to provisional figures, the remainder of the Russian quota as per 1 June 2012 amounted to 53% of cod and 47% of haddock.

Blue whiting fishery in the Faroese waters were conducted by 9 Murmansk-based vessels. As their quotas were exhausted trawlers left the area and by May 2012 there were only 1-3 vessels working on the grounds. They were operating in the south of the area gradually moving along the border with the UK's EEZ northeastwards. The fishery situation changed in the course of the month, in the first half it was fairly good, catches of BMRTIB big trawlers were reported at 80-100 MT per day, in the second half of May the catch rates declined to 20-40 MT. The total catch through the period under analysis in the Faroese waters amounted to 7,300 MT. The harvest from the beginning of the year totaled 47,500 MT or 95% of the Russian quota of 50,000 MT. In the same period of 2011 the harvest amounted to 13,200 MT.

From 1 to 12 May 2012 TSM seiner trawler Oma owned by SPK RK Murman was spotting and fishing for argentine in the waters of the Outer Bailey Bank and in the south of the Faroe fishing zone. Average daily catches ranged at 7-11 MT. The total harvest amounted to 100 MT of fish including 87% of argentine.

Ocean perch fishery in the Sea of Irminger was conducted by 19 Russian trawlers (11 from Murmansk and 8 from Kaliningrad). They were working on traditional grounds at the border of Iceland in between 61-62 degrees North 2750-2920 degrees West. The fishery situation in the first ten days of the month was unstable with catches of TSM seiner trawlers from 5 to 50 MT per day, in the remaining days of the month the average daily catches settled at 15-25 MT on the average. Catches through the month under analysis amounted to 10,900 MT of ocean perch, of which 50% were contributed by Kaliningrad-based vessels. The total harvest from the beginning of the season amounted to 11,000 MT (37.5% of the Russian quota of 29,500 MT). For comparison, in the same period of 2011 the harvest totaled 6,000 MT.

The halibut fishery in the waters of East Greenland was continued by one foreign-built trawler Amerlog. Her efficiency amounted to 8-10 MT per day on the average. The harvest in May 2012 totaled ca.300 MT of fish.

Starting from 10 May 2012 four Murmansk-based trawlers left the Senegal's EEZ and joined two Kaliningrad-based BATM big trawlers and three trawlers by Saint-Petersburg-based Alliance Marine on the pelagic grounds in the waters of Mauritania. In the first 20 days of May the fleet was mostly working in the southern grounds in between 1610-1800 degrees North, some vessels sporadically moved up to the 20th degree North. In the closing ten days of the month the vessels spread all over the area. The fishery situation was unstable, catches of BMRTIB big trawlers fluctuated between 20-80 MT per day, but in general the situation was better than in the previous month. Catches through May 2012 totaled 10,500 MT (+8,200 MT) including 5,900 MT of horse mackerel, 2,100 MT of sardinella, 1,800 MT of mackerel and 200 MT of sardine. The harvest from the beginning of the year totaled 21,300 MT. In the same period of 2011 the harvest of Russian vessels in the Mauritanian EEZ amounted to 16,400 MT.

In early May 2012 the fishery operations in the waters of Senegal were suspended under the initiative of Senegal, but from 8 May 2012 four Russian trawlers coming from Murmansk got back to work. They were operating in the north of the area in between 1530-1600 degrees North. The fishery situation as compared to April 2012 improved, which could be explained by smaller pressure on fishing stocks. In the end of May 2012 one Russian trawler Vassily Lozovsky remained working in the waters of Senegal. The total catch through the period under analysis amounted to 4,100 MT (-3,000 MT), including 2,700 MT of horse mackerel, 600 MT of sardinella and 500 MT of mackerel. From the start of the year the harvest amounted to 49,100 MT, down from 59,600 MT last year.

Horse mackerel fishery in the waters of Namibia was conducted by two Murmansk-based BATM big trawlers Kapitan Veselkov and Nikolay Kudryavtsev and Kaliningrad-based BATM Lider. They were mostly working in the area's north in between 17-20 degrees South. The fishery situation was fairly good: catch rates of Kaliningrad-based trawler amounted to 80-120 MT per day, while Murmansk-based vessels reported daily rates of 50-70 MT. The total catch in April amounted to 4,400 MT (-100 MT) of horse mackerel. Catches in the Namibian waters from the start of the year amounted 17,500 MT.

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