Outlook for fisheries in Russia's Far East in November 2010
In the Bering Sea, to the north of the 60th degree N, the scientists forecast about 10 stormy days with the winds of more than 15 meters per second. To the south, in the Karaginsk subarea, the number of stormy days is on a rise and in the Kurile waters it will reach 14. Only in the northwest of the Sea of Okhotsk fleets will lose a minimum number of fishing days due to the weather conditions in the area.
In the Bering Sea increased temperature regime will slightly delay the autumn process of ice formation which will activate by the end of the month as the inshore waters grow colder, the ice edge by that time to stay above 20-50-meter isobaths. The fishery situation on the pollock grounds will actually depend on the above conditions, because concentrations of medium-size pollock in that period of the year will be found on the shelf and in the upper part of the continental slope of the south part of the Koryak coast.
Catches rates can reach 35 tonnes per large ship on the average and ca.20 tonnes per middle ship.
In November 2010 scientists recommend that the bulk of the fleet should be sent to the North Okhotsk subarea, to the most efficient grounds between the banks of Kashevarova and Iona Island. In the area catches will be dominated by pollock with a bycatch of herring. The daily catch rates will reach 70-80 tonnes per large vessel. The bulk of the harvest will be represented by 33-36-cm fish of strong classes. The quota remainder in the area amounts to 66,000 tonnes, more than one half of which to be covered during November 2010. With the fishery conditions being fairly good large pollock 35-38cm will be met in catches to the north of the 57th degree N, however the bycatch of fish fry will be large here. The daily catch rates will be lower in the area, namely at 60-70 tonnes per large vessel and 35-40 tonnes per middle ship. On the grounds to the south the catch rates will be declining both per fishing effort and per ship daily. More specifically, in the waters of the southwest Kamchatka the average catch may amount to 50-60 tonnes per large ship and 15-20 tonnes per STR middle trawler. However, pollock in the area will be even larger at 38-41 cm on the average. The total pollock harvest in November 2010 is forecasted at 25,000-30,000 tonnes taking into account catch losses due to rough weather and other reasons, the TAC remainder to be 50,000 tonnes.
The total pollock harvest through November 2010 is expected at 65,000-70,000 tonnes.
Starting from the middle of November 2010 the herring fishery will be peaking in the North Okhotsk subarea in the Ionno-Kashevarov area. In the closing two months of the year 2010, when Okhotsk herring will be forming stable concentrations with a consequent rise of trawl fishery efficiency, the scientists recommend the fishermen to send the bulk of the fishing vessels to the grounds. The daily catch rates are forecasted at 41.5 tonnes per large vessel and 23.1 tonnes per middle trawler. Subject to participation of about 50 fishing ships the harvest may exceed 80,000 tonnes.
In the West Kamchatka subarea the weather conditions will be enable the fishermen to harvest Gizhigino-Kamchatka herring with various fishing gear during 20 days of November 2010. The catch rates in the area are expected to be higher and may amount to 75-80 tonnes per large vessel and 30-45 tonnes per middle ship. The fish length will be within 25-29 cm and the weight of 170-260 grams. However, the fishermen will spend some time on large scale spotting and in order to avoid a considerable bycatch of undersize fish the scientists recommend that the fishing operations on the grounds of Gizhigino-Kamchatka herring should be conducted at larger depths.
In the current year 2010 saury's listing as non-TAC-regulated species has somehow influenced the total harvest of the species in the Russian waters. By the end of October 2010 saury catches have hardly exceeded 16,500 tonnes versus 30,000 tonnes last year. Fleet expeditions have been facing difficulties in finding commercial concentrations. In November 2010 concentrations of market-size saury will be moving farther offshore. The expeditions will have to lose fishing time also due to unfavourable weather conditions. Fishing vessels have been leaving the fishing area, motherships have also been leaving for the Sea of Okhotsk in order to receive herring on the grounds.
Longliners' operations will be held back by the weather conditions on the fishing grounds. In the waters of the West Bering Sea area longliners will be able to harvest white halibut with the best results expected to the east of the 176th degree East. The bycatch of skates and grenadier is forecasted to be fairly large there. The total longline harvest in the area is expected at 70-80 tonnes. The bulk of longline catches in the waters of East Kamchatka will be represented by cod. The bycatch will contain skates, black and white halibut at the depths of 200-450 meters in the area's north, to the south, in the Petropavlovsk-Komandor subarea black halibut will account for less than 1% of the harvest. The average daily catch rates will amount to 6-8 tonnes per longliner.
Beyond the territorial waters the fishermen will be able to target black halibut in the North Okhotsk subarea, longline catches of which in the spawning peak will be as low as 2-2.5 tonnes with 60-70% of halibuts and a bycatch of skates and lycodes. Other fish species will be also harvested as bycatch in small volumes. The total harvest in the subarea is recommended to amount to 150 tonnes of black halibut.
At the same time, the situation on the black halibut grounds in the subareas of West Kamchatka will be non-stable. More specifically, longline operations will have low efficiency with the daily catch rates to fluctuate greatly from 0.3 to 3.5 tonnes. In its spawning period halibut eats lightly and its catches therefore decline.
In the Sea of Okhotsk trawl catches of halibuts will remain fairly good, the share of halibuts to account for 60-80% of the fleet's total harvest and the daily rates to reach 3-4 tonnes per trawler depending on the fishing area. In November 2010 the halibut harvest in the Sea of Okhotsk is recommended by the scientists at no more than 500 tonnes.
In the waters of the North Kuirle lonliners will be targeting cod, with the daily rates expected at 6-7 tnnes.
In November 2010 catches of bottomfish for human consumption at the western coast of Kamchatka will be dominated by flounder (60-90%). The fishery operations will be based on wintering concentrations of flounder and the fishermen's success will depend on efficiency of spotting operations. In the Petropavlovsk-Komandor subarea flounder catches are expected during trawl and Danish seine fishery of pollock, the bycatch of flounder to amount to ca.9%.
The fishery conditions on the squid grounds at Paramushir-Onekotan are expected to be satisfactory. Squid catches are forecasted at 5-7 tonnes per effort and 17-25 tonnes per ship daily, by the end of November 2010 they may decline to 8-13 tonnes as the squid concentrations will grow weaker. The results on the grounds at Ketoy-Paramushir Islands are expected to be even worse. More specifically, there the daily catch rates will be 6-12 tonnes including 5-10% of finfish. Subject to participation of at least 15 fishing ships the squid harvest through the month is forecasted at 6000-7000 tonnes.
In November 2010 the scientists expected a final run of autumn-winter spawning squid to the area adjacent to the North Kuriles, namely to the Petropavlovsk-Komandor subarea. Squid catches have been rising both on previous month and on last year. Squid concentrations can be harvested at the depths of 250-480 meters.
In the West Bering Sea zone in November 2010 the scientists recommend to harvest 5000-7000 tonnes of B. magister squid beyond the territorial waters, in the Olutorsk-Navarin area. Daily squid catches are expected to not higher than 8-17 tonnes. In the Karaginsk subarea the catch volumes will be lower at 2000-2500 tonnes, of which 700 tonnes will be available for fishery in the 12-mile zone.
In order to cover the recommended volumes the fishermen will have to send sufficient number of vessels.