Russian Far East expecting record high salmon catch in 2009

The scientific forecasts say that in 2009 there will be record strong runs of salmons to the Russian Pacific shores and the practice of centenary observation proves that exactly in the odd years the salmon runs are more abundant, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to Vostok-Media.

More specifically, in 2009 Russia may expect an 48% increase of salmon catches to 400,000 tonnes. Last year the Russian fishermen harvested 270,000 tonnes of pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye and coho. The salmon season in the Russian Far East will start in the first half of May 2009.

The main fishing areas will be located in Kamchatka, Sakhalin and South Kuriles. As for the runs broken down between the zones and subareas, in the West Bering Sea zone the fishery will be based on chum salmon, catches of which will account for 56.2% of the total harvest.

Karaginsk subarea is forecasted to the most efficient in terms of abundance of the salmon runs. There the catches are expected to exceed 112,000 tonnes or 28% of the total recommended harvest. The maximum catches in the area for the last ten years were observed in 1999 when the harvest amounted to 86,000 tonnes.

Pink salmon catches in the East Sakhalin subarea are expected to be close to actual catches in the recent odd years. The recommended catches in the area amount to 99,000 tonnes. In general, in Sakhalin waters the scientists forecast catches of ca.120,000 tonnes of salmons.

In the waters of the South Kuriles the fishermen are expected to cover 14.6% of the salmon harvest in the Russian Far East or 58,100 tonnes.

At the western coast of Kamchatka the fleets are recommended to harvest ca.36,000 tonnes, of which sockeye will account for 58.7%.

The continental slope of the Sea of Okhotsk is expected to contribute 38,500 tonnes to the total harvest with catches of pinks and chums correspondingly accounting for 54% and 44% of the forecasted result in the area.

The total harvest of salmons recommended by the salmon fishery spotting council for the year 2009 in the inshore and inland waters of the Russian Far East is offered at 398,200 tonnes, of which pink salmon amounts to 283,000 tonnes, chum salmon - 79,000 tonnes and sockeye - 30,000 tonnes.