Russian fisheries in North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic in April 2009

In April 2009 the total harvest of Russian vessels in the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic has somewhat decreased, fishery sources in Murmansk, with reference to provisional figures of National Centre for Fisheries Monitoring and Communication as per early May2009, told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

In absolute figures the catch amounted to ca.92,800 tonnes, thus displaying a decrease by 19,800 tonnes on the result of the previous month. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based fleets remained at 22% of Russia's total harvest in the area.

The decrease of the total catch volume could be attributed to the end of the Barents Sea capelin fishery (minus 40,7000 tonnes). In the Barents Sea the fishermen reported increased catches of cod (+4500 tonnes), decreased catches of haddock (minus 4800 tonnes). The harvest of saithe remained at the previous level. In the Norwegian Sea the fishermen resumed blue whiting fishery in the Faroese fishing zone (+20,000 tonnes including waters of Porcupine). In the Irminger Sea the fishermen started harvesting ocean perch Sebastes mentella. In the Central Eastern Atlantic the Russian harvest of pelagic species went down by 1400 tonnes, the dominating species was horse mackerel (+2200 tonnes), the harvest of mackerel decreased by 3700 tonnes. On the experimental krill grounds in the Southwest Atlantic one trawler repeated the result of the previous month and harvested 2300 tonnes.

Barents Sea

In April 2009 bottomfish operations were conducted by 60-70 ships. The fleet's location was constantly changing. While in the beginning of the month the main fishing area was located in the Norwegian EEZ (along Lofoten and on the grounds farther to the north), by the end of the period the fishing efforts spread approximately in equal shares between the Norwegian EEZ, Spitsbergen, the Grey Zone and the Russian waters. The importance of the Norwegian EEZ was getting lower as the bulk of the fish was located within the territorial sea and was out of access for the Russian fishermen, but the largest cod, haddock and saithe were harvested in the Norwegian waters through to the end of April 2009. The fishery conditions were generally favourable. The total harvest of cod in April 2009 grew to 23,300 tonnes (+4500 tonnes), that of haddock decreased to 6400 tonnes (-4800 tonnes), and the harvest of saithe remained at the previous level of 3100 tonnes. The bulk of the cod harvest was contributed by the Norwegian EEZ (51% namely), the share of cod harvested in the Russian EEZ amounted to 20%, and the Bear-Spitsbergen area contributed 16% to the Russian harvest. The bulk of the Russian haddock harvest was contributed by Spitsbergen (44%), while the Norwegian EEZ and the Russian EEZ correspondingly contributed 31% and 22%. All the saithe was harvested in the Norwegian EEZ.

Capelin

The Barents Sea capelin fishery was practically finished before the middle of April 2009 due to the development of abundant spawning. The last catches in the inshore waters of Murman were made in the beginning of the second decade of the month. The capelin harvest through the month amounted to 5500 tonnes (-40,700 tonnes), since the beginning of the season the catch amounted to 4000 tonnes. The capelin harvest since the beginning of the season amounted to ca.87,000 tonnes, the share of fish harvested by Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 9.4%. The take-up of the commercial quota therefore amounted to 57% mostly due to the lack of the fishing efforts (e.g. purse seiners).

Norwegian Sea

By the beginning of the second week of April 2009 the Russian fleet targeting blue whiting finished moving from the international waters to the Faroese fishing zone. The whole group continued active fishery in the south part of the Faroese fishing zone along the 60th degree North. According to the captains, the fishery conditions at the depths of 400-500 meters were normal on the days with favourable weather conditions, the total harvest through the month, including that in the waters of Porcupine, amounted to 39,000 tonnes (+20,000 tonnes). The group operating in the Faroese fishing zone included 17-18 trawlers, of which 6-7 ships came from Kaliningrad. The blue whiting harvest since the beginning of the month amounted to ca.80,000 tonnes, the main fishing areas were the Faroese fishing zone (59%) and the international waters of Porcupine (41%). Kaliningrade-based vessels contributed 40% to the harvest.

Irminger Sea

The first vessels based in Murmansk came to the traditional fishing grounds in the Irminger Sea in the middle of April 2009, but the conditions for fishery along the Icelandic border in the waters of the 29th degree West appeared to be worse than expected. Searching for more efficient grounds a small group of 3-4 vessels moved southwards at the distance of up to 100 miles away from the Icelandic waters. By the end of April 2009 the main grounds were located at the average coordinates of 5920 North 3000 West. The group increased to 12-13 trawlers, including 5 Kaliningrad-based ships. According to the captains, the fishery conditions were close to satisfactory with the catch rates at the depths of 600-800 meters varying at 8-20 tonnes per day (10-12 tonnes on the average). The total harvest of ocean perch Sebastes mentella in April 2009 amounted to ca.700 tonnes, including 28% contributed by Kaliningrad-based vessels.

Central Eastern Atlantic

Pelagic fisheries in the Central Eastern Atlantic in April 2009 were conducted in the waters of Mauritania and Western Sahara. The total harvest there amounted to ca.9000 tonnes (-1400 tonnes). The main grounds were located in Mauritania (6800 tonnes) where the catches were dominated by horse mackerel (75%). In the waters of Western Sahara (2000 tonnes) the harvest was dominated by sardine (64%).

In April 2009 single vessels conducted limited fishery of Greenland halibut, ocean perch, skates and deepwater shrimp in the NAFO zone. One of the trawlers continued experimental fishery of Antarctic krill in the Southwest Atlantic. The krill harvest through the month amounted to 2300 tonnes, the total catch of krill since the beginning of the year amounted to 6900 tonnes.

Provisional catch figures for the North Atlantic and the Central Eastern Atlantic in April 2009