Results of inshore fishing operations in Murmansk province in January-September 2007
In the first nine months of the current year 2007 the fishing operations in the inshore waters of the Kola Peninsula have been more stable and efficient as compared to 2006, fishery sources in Murmansk told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).
As per 1 October 2007 the inshore quotas of cod and haddock have been harvested by 47 companies and sole traders out of the total number of 56 with quota-entitlement. Nine companies could not start the fishery due to absence of the minimum quotas for a vessel to qualify for a fishing permit as well as due to the absence of the inshore boat types enlisted in the Basin's register of inshore vessels.
The total harvest of Murmansk inshore fishermen through January-September 2007 amounted to 7200 tonnes of cod and 2100 tonnes of haddock. The quotas of Murmansk province, the main fishery region of the nation's North Basin also containing Arkhangelsk, Karelia and Nenets Autonomous District, were exhausted at 73% and 63% correspondingly. The results of the last year were exceeded by 10% for cod and 11% for haddock on the corresponding figures through the nine months of 2006 amounting to 6560 tonnes and 1341 tonnes.
Catches of other species regulated by quotas for capture in the inshore waters amounted to 2600 tonnes which was considerably up on the last year's 800 tonnes. All the harvested inshore fish was landed for processing in Murmansk.
The province's inshore fleet has been underexploiting low-margin and non-traditional species. More specifically, the inshore boats have not targeted lumpfish, polar shark, sea cucumber, sea urchin, laminaria, fucus and other non-traditional species. The main reasons behind that were as follows:
- Absence of dedicated fishery of poorly exploited and non-traditional species;
- Shortage of demand for non-traditional aquatic species other than finfish;
- Absence of mechanism of online redistribution of quota shares between the users taking into account the current fishing situation.
White Sea
Forty-six Murmansk-based companies were fishing in the White Sea. The quota take-up was considerably down on last year. More specifically, the quotas of the White Sea herring as per 1 October were covered only at 10% with the catch of 17 tonnes against the quota of 170 tonnes. The main reason behind that is in the zero efficiency of the fishing operations, also for companies with large quota shares. A similar situation was observed for the wild Atlantic salmon fishery where catches of 6.6 tonnes made only 19% of the quota of 34.8 tonnes because the season will peak later in the autumn.
Only the quotas of the pink salmon transplanted from the Russian Far East have been progressing more actively with the harvest of the species amounting to 84 tonnes or 70% of the quota of 120.5 tonnes.
Inland fishery
Commercial fishery in the inland waters has been conducted in 20 lakes and 4 water reservoirs by 16 companies and sole traders. As per 1 October 2007 Murmansk fishermen harvested 34.2 tonnes of inland fish out of allowed 90.6 tonnes (quota take-up thus making 38%). As this type of fishery will peak mostly in winter, the final results will be summed up in the end of the year.