Outlook for fisheries in Russia's Far East in 3rd quarter of 2010

In the third quarter of 2010 the fishermen of the Russian Far East will be targeting a smaller number of species, which was typical for that period of the year, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/) with reference to fishery sources in Vladivostok.

In the period under analysis the fishermen are recommended to harvest 1,289,800 tonnes of fish, 50,000 tonnes up on the actual harvest in the first half of 2009.

Salmon and pollock seasons have been gathering momentum. The saury fishery has been launched in the South Kuriles.

The bulk of the allowable catch, 689,000 tonnes namely, has been recommended to harvest in the territorial sea, with the remaining volumes to be covered beyond the territorial sea.

The dominating species in the third quarter of the year will be pollock with the share of 28.4% or more than 360,000 tonnes. Considerable shares of the total recommended catch will be represented by salmons - 23.6%, squid - 14.7% and seaweed - 10.3%. A large reserve in catch volumes is in seaweed, the commercial stocks of which are practically untapped.

Catch shares of other fish species are forecasted to be as follows: 3.7% of flounder, 2.7% of cod and 2.4-2.3% of saury correspondingly. Catches of sculpins may amount to 28,000 tonnes, anchovy - to 24,000 tonnes and wachna cod - 18,900 tonnes.

Scientists recommend the fishermen to focus on grenadier, bottomfish and pelagic squids, deepwater crabs, which stocks remain uncovered by the commercial fleets in the recent years.

In the third quarter of the year possible capture of grenadier has been defined at 19,600 tonnes, the harvest of all crab species has been recommended at 13,500 tonnes.

Recommended volumes of capture in the third quarter of 2010 broken down between the areas (in 1000 metric tons)

As compared to last year forecast, in the third quarter of 2010 the basin's scientists recommend to raise catches of pollock by 11,000 tonnes, herring - by 6900 tonnes. September trawl catches of the latter in 2009 in the North Okhotsk subarea dramatically jumped to 3600 tonnes. Recommended catches volumes of cod have been increased by 6000 tonnes, Atka mackerel - by 8000 tonnes, wachna cod and sculpins - by 2000 tonnes, squid - by 10,000 tonnes and crabs - by 1000 tonnes.

According to the fishery scientists, the recommended catches of main commercial species (pollock, saury, cod, flounder, halibuts, shelf crabs, shrimps and whelks) in the third quarter of the year 2010 can be covered subject to participation of sufficient number of fishing vessels in the fishery operations, especially on the inshore grounds.