Outlook for fisheries in the Russian Far East in January 2010

At the turn-of-the-year the Russian scientists have been making forecasts for the progress of fisheries of main commercial species in the nation's Far East in January 2010, fishery sources in Vladivostok told http://www.fishnet-russia.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

Pollock

In the first month of the year 2010 the pollock fishery in the Bering Sea will be based on fish remaining in the West Bering Sea zone after feeding in the summer-autumn period. The fishery situation will mostly depend on the weather conditions and dynamics of water cooling in the northwest part of the Bering Sea. Large pollock in January 2009 may form weak and mobile concentrations in the demersal waters of the shelf, the schools to be gradually moving towards the sea's southeast. The fishery on such concentrations will bring fairly good results, but the vessels will have to spend some time for spotting oeprations. The monthly harvest will be dominated by small-size mature pollock remaining on the grounds for wintering and further spawning in spring in the Navarin area. The stock's biomass is not large and the average catches per boat are forecasted to be not very large and generally smaller than in autumn. The average daily catches may amount to 35-40 tonnes per large vessel in the Navarin area and 50-60 tonnes in the south part of the Koryak coast.

In the Sea of Okhotsk the fishery situation on the grounds will be progressing in keeping with December 2009, when catches contained a large bycatch of young pollock. As per late December 2009 large pollock spread in the sea without forming stable commercial concentrations while pollock fry was forming strong concentrations harvested by the fleets. Therefore catches in January 2010 will contain mostly pollock sized from 30 cm to 43 cm.

According to the scientists' recommendations, the fleets will start the pollock fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk no earlier than in mid-January 2010 when the concentrations of market-size pollock will be formed in the Kamchatka Kurile and North Okhotsk subareas. Catches are forecasted to contain larger fish. The daily catch rates will fluctuate from 80 to 100 tonnes per large vessel and from 30 to 45 tonnes per middle ship.

In January 2010 the pollock fishery will be also possible in the waters of the Kuriles where there are no restrictions as to the fishing periods. However, at that time of the year the largest fishing efforts are normally concentrated in the Sea of Okhotsk.

Herring

The herring fishery in January 2010 is recommended in the Iono-Kashevarsky area on the wintering concentrations. According to the stock surveys, the commercial stock of the Okhotsk herring has got stabilized and in the near future its abundance is expected to rise. The herring catches in the beginning of the year 2010 will increase accordingly.

In the opening month of 2010 the herring fishery will be conducted by large and middle trawlers. The average catch rates are forecasted at 32 tonnes per large trawler and 20 tonnes per middle trawler.

Halibuts

According to the scientists, bottom trawlers and longliners are expected to conduct successful fishery of roe white halibut in the waters of the Navarin Cape and in the Avacha Bay where the catch rates are forecasted at 200-250 kilos per 1000 hooks. The bycatch of up to 10% will consist of cod and flounder, especially at the shores of East Kamchatka. The black halibut fishery in January 2010 will be carried out after the stock's abundant spawning in the West Kamchatka subarea. The recommended harvest through the month amounts to 75 tonnes. The catch rates per trawler may amount to 1.5-3.0 tonnes, but more efficient fishery will be that with longline and net gear with the catch rates to contain up to 70-90% of halibut. In the south, in the Kamchatka Kurile subarea, halibut will be forming strong feeding concentrations and the harvest through the month may amount to 200 tonnes with the use of trawl, net and longline gear.

Cod

In January 2010 vessels of all types will enjoy better catches from the dedicated cod operations in the Avacha Bay and in the waters of the southeast coast of Kamchatka up to the Lopatka Cape. More specifically, the daily catch rates are expected to amount to 8-9 tonnes per longliner and 4-6 tonnes per Danish seiner. Depending on the fishing efforts catches may exceed 1000 tonnes in January 2009. Less efficient cod fishery will be conducted in the waters of West Kamchatka. Longline cod catches will fluctuate within 5-7 tonnes per vessel.

Flounder

Due to purely economic reasons the dedicated flounder fishery will be not conducted in January 2009. This month in the recent years the fleets have been harvesting flounder only as bycatch in the trawl and Danish seine fishery of pollock.

Squid

In January 2010 the squid harvest in the dedicated fishery may reach 1500-1800 tonnes subject to the fishing efforts of 10-12 vessels operating in the waters of the North Kuriles and Paramushir-Onekotan. The catch rates on the concentrations of autumn-winter spawning squid may amount to 2.5-4.0 tonnes per haul and 7-12 tonnes per ship daily.

Crabs

In January 2009 the fishermen are expected to target golden king crab and blue king crab in the Sea of Okhotsk. In the same areas the vessels will also start harvesting pink shrimp Pandalus borealis.