Overview of catches of major commercial resources in Russia in 2018

Russia’s harvest of aquatic bioresources in 2018 turned out to be a record high for the last 26 years totaled 5.03 million metric tons to display an increase of 5.1% higher on 2017 and is a record for, according to the nation’s Federal Agency for Fisheries.

In the North Fishery Basin the Russian fishermen harvested 577,000 tonnes or 1% up on last year. The West Fishery Basin produced 80.4 thousand metric tons, an increase of 5.2%. In the Azov-Black Sea Fishery Basin the total catch decreased by almost 26% to 75 thousand tonnes. In the Volga-Caspian Basin the harvest decreased by 6% to 69,000 tonnes.

In the foreign EEZ, convention areas and in the open part of the World Ocean the Russian fishing fleets harvested 715,000 metric tons of aquatic species – 14.7% down on the previous year.

The catch of aquatic biological resources in the Far East Fishery Basin in all fishing areas in 2018 amounted to 3,522 thousand tonnes, or 394,000 tonnes or 13% up on the corresponding result last year (3,128 thousand tons).

Russia’s Alaska pollock harvest in 2018 amounted to 1,668 thousand tonnes, of which in the Sea of Okhotsk – 1,064 thousand tonnes, in the West Bering Sea zone - 326 thousand tonnes. As compared to 2017, the catch decreased by 1% or 11 thousand tonnes from 1,680 thousand tonnes).

The Pacific herring harvest amounted to 358 thousand tonnes, the reduction on 2017 (416 thousand tonnes) was 14% or 58 thousand tonnes.

The salmon harvest roared to 676 thousand tons to display a 2.2-fold increase on 2017 (+365 thousand tons from 310 thousand tons).

Cod catches in all types of fishing in the Far East Fishery Basin amounted to 118 thousand tonnes or 16% up from the respective result of 2017 (+16,000 tonnes from 102 thousand tons).

The flounder harvest totaled 81 thousand tonnes, 18% or 17 thousand tonnes down from 98 thousand tonnes in 2017.

The Atka mackerel catch amounted to 19 thousand tonnes, a decline of 21% or 5 thousand tonnes on 2017 (24,000 tonnes).

Wachna cod catches rose by 79% (22,000 tonnes) to 50 thousand tonnes.

The halibut harvest amounted to 15 thousand tons, 4% or 500 tonnes up on previous year (14.5 thousand tonnes).

The catch of saury amounted to 7.4 thousand tonnes, 22% or 1.3 thousand tonnes up on 2014 when the fishermen harvested 6.1 thousand tonnes of saury.

The catch of longfin codling Laemonema amounted to 6.6 thousand tonnes, 39% or 4.3 thousand tons down from 10.9 thousand tonnes in 2017.

Russia’s catch of grenadier amounted to 21.5 thousand tonnes, 16% or 4.1 million tonnes down from 25.6 thousand tonnes in 2017.

Catches of Pacific pilchard ivashi amounted to 62 thousand tonnes, 3.9 times or 46 thousand tons up from 16 thousand tonnes in 2017.

The mackerel catch amounted to 123 thousand tonnes, 2.3 times or 69 thousand tonnes up from 54 thousand tonnes in 2017.

Catches of all crab species in the Russian Far East Fishery Basin in 2018 amounted to 74,700 metric tons, 10% or 6,300 tonnes up from 68,400 tonnes in 2017.

Catches of all shrimp species totaled 15,900 tonnes, 18% or 3,500 tonnes down from 19,400 tonnes in 2017.

Catches of squid amounted to 102,000 tonnes, 24% or 19,000 tonnes up from 83,000 tonnes in 2017.