Results of Russian fisheries in nation's Far East in January-November 2009

The pollock harvest in the Sea of Okhotsk in winter-spring and autumn months failed to cover the catch gap from pollock operations in the Bering Sea. In general, through January-November 2009 the pollock catch decreased by 50 tonnes on last year with the positive result in the Sea ща Okhotsk (+102,000 tonnes) and the negative one in the Bering Sea (-186,000 tonnes).

As compared to last year, considerable catch increases were recorded for flounder (+21,000 tonnes), wachna cod (+16,000 tonnes) and grenadier (+13,000 tonnes). Catches of herring (+1700 tonnes), Atka mackerel (+4700 tonnes) and skates (+1400 tonnes) were also ahead of the corresponding last year results. The salmon harvest 2009 was record breaking with the total result exceeding 540,000 tonnes. Out of other species a catch rise was also recorded for squid. The harvest of sea urchins, whelks, sea cucumber and crab exceeded the last year catch by 1200 tonnes, 500 tonnes, 900 tonnes and 700 tonnes correspondingly.

In the meantime, weak catch results were observed on the grounds of smelt (-400 tonnes), crabs in the Primorye subarea (-670 tonnes) and sea scallops (-150 tonnes).

As for finfish species, the cod harvest through the first eleven months of the year went down by more than 10,000 tonnes versus the respective result of last year. Halibut catches came down nearly by 3000 tonnes as Kamchatka and Sakhalin longliners were barred from entry to the fishing grounds. The catch lag for longfin codling Laemonema amounted to 2400 tonnes.