Outlook for fisheries (excluding salmon) in the Russian Far East in July 2008
In July 2008 the fishermen of the Russian Far East Basin will be harvesting spent East Bering Sea Alaska pollock in the waters of the Navarin Canyon and in the bottom waters of the Navarin shelf. At the depths break of the Koryak coast the West Bering Sea APO will form mobile concentrations. The harvest volume will depend on the number of vessels operating on the grounds. However, the daily catches are expected to be down on the last year results in the same period of the year, namely at 55-65 tonnes per large trawler.
Bering Sea and East Kamchatka
The summer-autumn period is the most favourable for grenadier fishery. In other fisheries grenadier is forecasted to account for up to 40% of the harvest.
Skates in the West Bering Sea and in the Karaginsk subarea will be harvested as bycatch on the mixed bottom grounds of halibuts, cod, flounder and other species with trawl, longline and net gear.
In the West Bering Sea zone, in the Olyutorsk Bay and in the shallow waters to the north from the Karaginsky Island, the conditions for the cod fishery are expected to be stable, and the longliners are forecasted to harvest 6-8 tonnes and 6-10 tonnes per ship depending on the fishing area. Trawlers and Danish seiners are expected to harvest correspondingly 4-7 tonnes and 8-10 tonnes per ship daily.
The total harvest through the month will depend on the number of the fishing efforts, and the scientists forecast it at 3000-5000 tonnes.
July is also an optimum month for the halibut fishery in the inshore zone. According to the scientists, the daily catch rates are expected within 1.5-2.5 tonnes per ship. The total harvest may amount to 300-400 tonnes in the West Bering Sea zone. In the Karaginsk subarea halibut will be harvested as bycatch in the cod fishery. Catches of cod may amount to 50-70 tonnes.
North Kuriles
According to the scientists, in July the conditions for squid fishery will somewhat dwindle. Only in the periods of high tides the fishery results are expected to be the best possible. The bycatch of Alaska pollock will not exceed 1-2% and 5-6% in the waters of the Paramushir-Onekotan Islands. The harvest of Atka mackerel will not depend on the volume of squid catches.
July is one of the most favourable months for grenadier fishery in the waters of the South and North Kuriles. In July 2008 the scientists forecast the total harvest of 2000-3000 tonnes of grenadier subject to 2-4 large bottom trawlers targeting the species.
The conditions for cod fishery will be more favourable in the Fourth Kurile Strait at the oceanic coast of the Shiashkotan Island and the Paramushir Islands up to the 5050 degree North. The daily harvest is expected at 3-5 tonnes for longliners and ca.2 tonnes for trawlers. The catches will contain flounder, sculpins, Alaska pollock and other species.
Sea of Okhotsk
The scientists say that the flounder fishery in July 2008 will be conducted in the subareas of the West Kamchatka within the shelf borders. In July many flounder species normally spawn, therefore their harvest will vary from 7 to 20 tonnes depending on the fishing area with the share of flounders in bottom fisheries to fluctuate from 30% to 40%. Subject to participation of 19-23 vessels the harvest of mixed bottomfish through the month may amount to ca.5000 tonnes. In the south of the West Kamchatka the share of flounders in the total harvest of food bottomfish will amount to 40-50%.
July is also the most favourable month for halibut fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk. Before spawning halibut starts active feeding thus forming strong concentrations on the spawning grounds. The scientists forecast that in July 2008 the Russian fishermen will harvest large halibut of up to 60-80 cm. Longliners and netters will harvest 3-4 tonnes per day depending on the fishing ground, and halibut will account for 80-90% of the harvest. The best conditions will be observed in the Lebed Trough and in the south part of the TINRO Deep. The average harvest per longliner may amount to 3-3.5 tonnes with a share of halibut reaching 70-80%. As for the bottom netters, halibut will account for 85% of their daily harvest expected at 2.5-3.0 tonnes per ship on the average.