Good outlook for saury season in the Russian Far East

According to Vladivostok-based TINRO-Centre research institute, synoptical and hydrological conditions on the saury grounds in the Russian Far East will enable starting efficient fishery of the species as of mid-September 2007 with the season promising to be generally stable.

More specifically, in the current year 2007 the commercial catch quotas have been allocated to 14 companies based in Primorsky Krai (capital Vladivostok). Their total quota in the South Kurile Zone amounts to 43,900 tonnes of saury. The quota users are planning to send 34 fishing and 8 processing vessels to the grounds and 6 boats are going to do their own processing. The total harvest through the season is expected at ca.80,000 tonnes of saury (companies' own quotas and contracted quotas) which would be nearly 1.7-fold higher than in 2006.

Saury is a strategically important fishing species attracting a lot of Primorye-based fishermen and providing many jobs for the processing sector.

At the same time, the saury fishery is one of the most complicated and the fishermen will have to do their best for the sake of successful operations. Towards that end, the fishermen have decided to set up headquarters to coordinate the saury expedition 2007. The authorities have also urged the companies' leaders to apply for onboard inspectors of the State Marine Inspectorate with a good notice.

To solve particular problems of the saury fleet the fishermen are also looking into establishment of an association to take care of the sector's problems.