Outlook for Russian fisheries in Atlantic in September 2009
In September 2009 in the Barents Sea the whole fleet based in Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin will continue harvesting cod and haddock with the bycatch of other demersal fish in the feeding areas located in the southeast and northwest parts of the sea beyond the Norwegian EEZ, fishery sources in Murmansk told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).
Taking into account the current season, the fishery conditions are expected to be fairly good, but the concentrations will continue gradually growing weaker as the fish will be spread in more dispersed condition on a vast area. Despite the fact that the average size of cod and haddock will be smaller than that in the Bear-Spitsbergen area, the Russian zone will remain more attractive for Murmansk fishermen and the bulk of the fishing efforts will be concentrated in the REEZ where the conditions will be more favourable.
The fleets hope to harvest there at least 80% of the whole cod and haddock harvest in the Barents Sea. Taking into the seasonal conditions, the cod and haddock catches may be 5-10% down on the results of August 2009. Starting from 1 September 2009 in the Russian EEZ in the Barents Sea the fleets will start trap fishery of red king crab. The commercial red king crab quota for the year 2009 has been set at 11,310 tonnes (2976 crabs). By the middle of September 2009 the shipowners are expected to send the largest number of crabbers (for comparison, in 2008 the crab fishery was conducted by at least 30 vessels, the Russian quota was approved at 3180 crabs). The fishery conditions in September 2009 are forecasted to be in keeping with those of September 2008. The total harvest may be 3-5% down on September 2008 depending on the meat content.
In the Norwegian Sea Atlantic herring will remain the main commercial species (Russia's herring quota 2009 in the Norwegian Sea has been set at 210,600 tonnes). Taking into account the estimated fishery conditions (the bulk of concentrations will be spread already within the Norwegian EEZ) and the current condition of the stocks, the herring harvest in September 2009 may be 10-15% up on August 2009. The fishermen will continue harvesting blue whiting mostly as bycatch on the herring grounds. Separate vessels may conduct dedicated fishery of herring in the norther part of the enclave of the Norwegian Sea. The conditions for the pelagic ocean perch fishery in the Norwegian Sea may grow better with the total ocean perch harvest in the enclave of the Norwegian Sea in September 2009 to increase to 1000 tonnes. In the first half of September 2009 the fishery of ocean perch S. mentella in the Irminger Sea will be carried out in the northern part of the sea with the following dispersal of the concentrations towards southwest. Due to a limited number of the trawlers the total harvest of ocean perch in the Irminger Sea may decline by 10-15% (the Russian quota of ocean perch S. mentella in the international waters of the Irminger Sea in 2009 has been set at 29,400 tonnes).