Russia reports nine-months catch results

In January-September 2007 Russian fleets harvested 2,589,000 tonnes of finfish and other aquatic species, 21,000 tonnes or 0.8% down on the respective period last year, according to Deita.Ru.

The catch decrease is attributed to smaller catches in the foreign EEZs, in the convention areas and in the open part of the World Ocean. According to the Russian State Fisheries Committee, in the above areas the Russian fishermen harvested 598,600 tonnes of fish and other aquatic species, 67,600 tonnes (10.8%) down on the same period last year.

Besides, the catch drop was caused by lower herring catches (24,200 tonnes down) in the Norwegian EEZ and blue whiting in the NEAFC zone. At the same time, in the inland marine waters, the territorial sea, the national EEZ and on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation as well as in the Azov and Caspian Seas the Russian harvest through the first nine months of the year amounted to 1,670,500 metric tons, 11,900 tonnes (0.9%) up from 1,658,600 tonnes in January-September 2006.

In particular, the fishermen of the Russian Far East Basin harvested 1,373,000 tonnes of fish, 22,300 tonnes (1.6%) more than last year. The Alaska pollock catches increased by 111,300 tonnes (12.8%) to 981,600 tonnes and saury - by 2,300 tonnes to 38,300 tonnes. At the same time, the harvest of herring dropped by 62,100 tonnes to 81,400 tonnes.

In the North Fisheries Basin (Barents and White Seas) the nation's catch rose to 227,400 tonnes (by 15,600 tonnes or 7.3%) thanks to increases of haddock catches by 13,800 tonnes, sea cats - by 2700 tonnes and sea scallops - by 1000 tonnes. In the Baltic Sea the Russian harvest in January-September 2007 amounted to 28,300 tonnes of fish, 7200 tonnes (20.3%) down on the corresponding period last year.

The catch decrease was due to lack of sprat catches. The fleets operating in the Azov and Black Seas harvested 18,300 tonnes of fish, 3700 tonnes (16.8%) less than last year. The catch lag could be explained mostly by lower catches of tulka (by 800 tonnes) and sprat (by 2700 tonnes) due to non-satisfactory fishery situation.