Progressing of commercial salmon fishery in inshore waters of Russia's Far East
The salmon harvest in the Petropavlovsk-Komandor subarea amounted to 4400 tonnes of which 4100 tonnes was contributed by sockeye. Together with sockeye the fishermen were harvesting Chinook and chum salmons. While sockeye and chum catches exceeded the corresponding results of 2008 in the both subareas of East Kamchatka, chum salmon did not stay long in the south of the area. Catches in the Karaginsk subarea considerably exceeded such in 2008: 141 tonnes and 2 tonnes correspondingly. There were runs of chum salmon in the West Kamchatka subarea, where the first catches amounted to 250 tonnes.
Salmon fishery is of core importance in July. A large number of fishing vessels leaves the grounds of pollock, mixed bottomfish species and other species in order to participate in salmon operations as floating processors.
According to the scientific forecasts, pink salmon will continue running to the waters of the Bering Sea coast of Chukotka until the second decade of July. Most of pink salmon will be harvested in the second and third decades of July. Chum salmon of the Anadyr estuary will be actively harvested in the closing 10 days of July with up to 70% of potential harvest to be covered during these days. Sockeye fishery with the largest catch results is forecasted on 6-15 July 2010. In the second half of July 2010 one fourth of the recommended catch may be covered.
East coast of Kamchatka
Active runs of pink salmon to the Karaginsk subarea are expected starting from the second decade of July 2010. The fishery of chum salmon, stocks of which in the eastern coast of Kamchatka are in satisfactory condition, will be gathering momentum. The bycatch of chum salmon in the sockeye fishery will rise in the Kamchatka Bay. The sockeye fishery in July 2010 will account for ca.30% of the recommended harvest. In late July 2010 coho salmon will be also targeted by the fishermen as the stock begins running to the rivers of Kamchatka.
West coast of Kamchatka
Pink salmon from even year classes dominates in abundance in the west coast of Kamchatka, where its catches in the recent years have been at 40,000-117,000 tonnes. Main rivers for pink salmon reproduction locate in the Kamchatka Kurile subarea. However, catches are expected to distribute in the subareas in the following way: 50,400 tonnes in the West Kamchatka subarea and 39,600 tonnes in the Kamchatka Kurile subarea. The total pink salmon harvest in the waters of West Kamchatka is expected to amount to 90,000 tonnes. Catches in July 2010 will account for no more than 20%. Strength of sockeye runs will grow on 21-30 July 2010 with the bulk of the harvest to be contributed by Ozernovsk sockeye. Scientists recommend harvesting no more than 20% of chinook salmon in July 2010.
The fishermen do not hurry to cover the recommended catches of pink salmon in the north coast of the Sea of Okhotsk as they hope for abundant runs of chum salmon as it is a more valuable species. Thus, the fishery of pink salmon and chum salmon in the area will take off in late July 2010. During the season the fishermen will install 25-30 beach seines and 2-3 fixed seines.
East Sakhalin subarea
Commercial runs of pink salmon to the zone of fixed seines at the southeast coast are expected in the beginning of the second decade of July and the fishermen will start operations in the third decade of the month. In the Terpenia Bay maximum catches of pink salmon area expected in the closing five days of July, the catch rates to be fading by 11-15 August 2010.