Russian fisheries in North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic in April 2008

According to provisional figures, in April 2008 the total harvest of Russian vessels in the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic amounted to ca.82,300 tonnes, thus displaying a decrease by 4700 tonnes on the result of the previous month. Kaliningrad-based fleets contributed 25% to Russia's total harvest in the area, fishery sources in Murmansk, with reference to provisional figures as per mid-May 2008, told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

The catch fall could be attributed to closure of experimental capelin fishery in the Barents Sea and spring-spawning herring in the Norwegian Sea. The fishing fleet located mostly in three areas, namely in the Barents Sea targeting bottom fish species, the international waters of Porcupine moving towards the sourthern part of the Faroese fishing zone (blue whiting) and Central Eastern Atlantic (mackerel and horse mackerel). In late April 2008 several Russian vessels started harvesting ocean perch Sebastes mentella in the Irminger Sea.

In the Barents Sea the weather conditions on 1-20 April 2008 were fairly favourable and at least 80 vessels were operating on the grounds. The fleet reported increased catches of cod (+2400 tonnes), while the harvest of haddock decreased by 2900 tonnes due to the vessels' move from the Norwegian EEZ to more eastern areas. The harvest of saithe remained unchanged at the level of 3300 tonnes. Taking into account the fleet's location the bulk of the bottomfish harvest in April 2008 was still contributed by the Norwegian EEZ. More specifically, 60% of cod, 80% of haddock and 95% of saithe were harvested there. In the waters of Spitsbergen the Russian fishermen harvested 10% of cod and 15% of haddock. The remaining fish was harvested in the Grey Zone and in the south-west part of the Russian zone.

During the first half of April the fleet targeting blue whiting continued working in the international waters of Porcupine actively moving to more northern grounds in the south part of the Faroese fishing zone. In the closing ten days of the month nearly all the fleet of up to 18 large vessels, including 10 trawlers coming from Kaliningrad-led West Fisheries Basin, was actively fishing on the blue whiting grounds in the Faroese fishing zone to the north of the 60th degree North. The total harvest of blue whiting in April 2008 was estimated at 47,000 tonnes on a par with the previous month, with nearly 50% contributed by the Faroese fishing zone. The share of Kaliningrad-based fleets grow to 35-40%.

In the Central Eastern Atlantic (Mauritania and Western Sahara) the harvest of pelagic species in April 2008 amounted to ca.6500 tonnes, 800 tonnes down on March 2008. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based fishermen amounted to less than 15%. The bulk of the harvest in April 2008 was made by mackerel (30%), while each of the shares of sardinella, horse mackerel and sardine amounted to ca.20% of the total harvest in the area.

Provisional catch figures for the North Atlantic and the Central Eastern Atlantic in April 2008