Outlook for fisheries in the Russian Far East in August 2008
In August 2008 the fishermen of the Russian Far East Basin will be harvesting mostly Alaska pollock in the Bering Sea and salmon species in the Sea of Okhotsk in the western coast of Kamchatka, East Sakhalin and Kuriles. The saury fishery will take off in the South Kurile waters, fishery sources in Vladivostok told http://www.fishnet-russia.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/).
In August 2008 the fishing efforts on the APO grounds of the Bering Sea are increasing in number, migration of the East Bering Sea Alaska pollock to the Russian waters will be more abundant. Alaska pollock will form mobile concentrations mostly on the shelf of the Navarin area. Most of the fishing time will be spent for spotting operations. Catches of large vessels are forecasted to reach 45-50 metric tons per day.
Just like in the previous month, in August 2008 the fishermen will target halibuts with bottom line and cod with trawl and longline gear. The daily catch rates are forecasted to be stable at approximately 4-7 tonnes per trawler/Danish seiner and at 6-8 tonnes per longliner. The bycatch of grenadier in longline halibut fishery is expected to fluctuate from 5% to 40%, while the grenadier bycatch in cod and other bottomfish operations is forecasted to reach 6%.
In any time of the year the conditions for halibut fishery in the Lebed Trough and in the south part of the TINRO Deep in the Sea of Okhotsk are reported as the most favourable. The stock concentrations in August 2008 are recommended to be fished at the depths of 450-800 meters with the use of longline, net and trawl gear. Depending on the fishing grounds the catch rates are expected within 2.5-4 tonnes per day for fishery with longline, and the share of halibuts will fluctuate from 60% to 95%. The trawl harvest is forecasted at 2-3 tonnes with the share of halibuts reaching 80%. The harvest of halibuts with net gear will account for 95%.
Certain strengthening of concentrations of magister squid is expected in August at the north islands of the Kurile Ridge and at the Iturup Island at the depths of 300-1000 meters, where by the end of the month the daily catch rates can grow to 25-35 tonnes. The catch rates in the Sea of Japan off the Erimo Cape at the depths of 500-900 meters are forecasted to be much higher at 40-50 metric tons.
In the middle of August 2008 the scientists forecast a start of stable concentrations of saury to the south of the Small Kurile Ridge. The catch rates per day are expected to exceed 8 metric tons.
Salmons
Forecasts for the salmon fishery often remain not true, as the salmon runs to the spawning grounds depend on many reasons and, first of all, on water conditions. Besides, cyclones impede the fishermen's operations by carrying away the seines and enabling the fish to escape to the spawning grounds.
According to the scientific forecasts, in August 2008 the salmon fishery will continue in the Kamchatka Kurile subarea where the fleets are expected to harvest up to 70-75% of the annual chum salmon quota. In the same period the bulk of the sockeye quota will be harvested in the Ozernaya River.
Sakhalin fishermen expect a more abundant run of pink salmon to the rivers of the East Sakhalin subarea. Already from the first ten days of August the fishermen have started harvesting chum salmon there, the first running fish to escape to the grounds for reproduction. The chum salmon fishery will peak in September 2008.
The pink salmon runs in the South Kuriles are expected to be strong already in the first ten days of the month. The harvest of pink salmon in August 2008 is expected to account for 75-80% out of the forecasted 40,700 metric tons.