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

In August 2008 the total harvest of Russian vessels in the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic amounted to ca.92,200 tonnes, thus displaying a decrease by 1800 tonnes on the result of the previous month, fishery sources in Murmansk, with reference to provisional figures of National Centre for Fisheries Monitoring and Communication as per early September 2008, told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

The contribution of Kaliningrad-based fleets grew to 25% to Russia's total harvest in the area.

The most important developments were observed on the bottomfish grounds in the Barents Sea and pelagic fish grounds in the Norwegian Sea.

In the Barents Sea Russia's fleets left behind the most efficient period for cod and haddock fishery. In August the concentrations spread on a larger feeding area in the sea's north and east, therefore the catch rates of core demersal species decreased in general. More specifically, the cod harvest through the month amounted to 13,700 tonnes, 6100 tonnes down on the previous month, and the harvest of haddock practically halved by 4400 tonnes to 5900 tonnes. In the end of the month (before the start of the fishing season) the fishermen began harvesting red king crab in the Russian waters of the Barents Sea for research purposes. The harvest of red king crab by the end of August amounted to 200 tonnes.

The shrimp fishery in the enclave was continued by one trawler with the catch rates amounting to no more than 100 metric tons.

In the Norwegian Sea by the middle of August the fleets finished harvesting mackerel with the total harvest through the month reported at ca.6600 tonnes, 17,000 tonnes down on July 2008, while the herring fishery got brisker with the harvest of the species growing by 37,000 tonnes to 51,100 tonnes.

Blue whiting was harvested mostly as bycatch and the total catch of the species through August amounted to 1400 tonnes, 9200 tonnes down on the previous month. The ocean perch fishery in the Irminger Sea moved to the waters to the south of Greenland (Labrador-Newfoundland) with the harvest falling by 1900 tonnes to 1500 tonnes. The total harvest of pelagic species in the Central Eastern Atlantic remained practically unchanged at 10,400 tonnes (700 tonnes down). Horse mackerel retained the first place in catch volumes, and the second place was taken by mackerel.

Barents Sea

The conditions for bottomfish operations in August were satisfactory for the season. As compared to July the fishing efforts decreased by 10-15% in number, which, in combination with a seasonal decrease of efficiency caused by wider distribution of the stock on a large feeding area, resulted into a decrease of cod and haddock catches. The harvest of cod through August 2008 amounted to 13,700 tonnes, 6100 tonnes down on July 2008, and the catch of haddock decreased by 4400 tonnes to 5900 tonnes. Main changes in the fleet's location touched redistribution of the bulk of the fleet into the enclave of the Barents Sea where most of the cod stock moved from Spitsbergen. According to the fleet's location on the grounds, in the Russian zone and in the Bear Spitsbergen area the harvest of cod was practically equal at 33-35%, while the harvest of cod in the enclave of the Barents Sea grew to 29% out of the total harvest. Nearly all the haddock, 81% namely, was harvested in the southeast of the sea in the Russian zone, and 17% of haddock was contributed by Spitsbergen. The shrimp fishery in the enclave was continued by one trawler daily catching ca.5-6 tonnes on the average, with the total harvest through the month amounting to no more than 100 tonnes. Before the start of the red king crab commercial fishery in the Russian waters (1 September 2008) in the closing ten days of August 2-3 vessels started prospecting for crab concentrations. The harvest of red king crab for research purposes in August amounted to ca.200 tonnes.

Norwegian Sea

The Russian mackerel fishery in the Norwegian Sea was practically closed already by the end of the first ten days of August, when only single vessels were operating. The total harvest through the month amounted to 6600 tonnes, 17,000 tonnes down on July 2008. Since the start of the year in Norwegian Sea the fleets harvested ca.32,000 tonnes of mackerel, 51% of which were contributed by Kaliningrad-based vessels. The landings were dominated by fish harvested in the international waters of the Norwegian Sea (74%). Blue whiting in August was harvested mostly as bycatch on the herring grounds, therefore the harvest of the species through the month decreased to 1400 tonnes (9200 tonnes down). The blue whiting catch since the start of the year in all the areas is estimated at 204,000 tonnes, 33% of which were contributed by Kaliningrad-based fleets. Most of the harvest was contributed by the international waters to the west of the British Isles (44%) and by the Faroese fishing zone (43%). The harvest in the enclave of the Norwegian Sea was estimated at 12%.

The main pelagic species in the Norwegian Sea in August was herring, which was harvested in four areas, namely in the Bear-Spitsbergen area to the southwest of the Bear Island, the Norwegian EEZ, the Yan-Mayen and the enclave of the Norwegian Sea. The harvest through August amounted to ca.51,000 tonnes with the share of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounting to 31%. Catches in the areas amounted to 45%, 20%, 18% and 17% correspondingly. Since the start of the year the Russian harvest of herring was estimated at ca.79,000-80,000 tonnes, of which 26% were contributed by Kaliningrad-based fleets.

Irminger Sea

The fishery operations on the grounds of ocean perch Sebastes mentella in August 2008 were conducted on a limited scale in the international waters of the Northeast Atlantic in the waters of the NEAFC zone to the south of Greenland and on the adjacent grounds of the NAFO zone. A small group of no more than 10 vessels harvested ca.1500 tonnes through the month with the contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounting to 67%. Since the start of the year the Russian harvest of ocean perch S.mentella in the Irminger Sea amounted to ca.16,500 tonnes, down from ca.26,000 tonnes in the same period 2007. The Russian quota of ocean perch in the area was covered at no more than 57%. That was one of the worst results in the Russian fishery history. Experts said that could be attributed to a number of reasons such as a considerable decrease of the stock, dwindling of quotas, a dramatic rise of fuel costs and atomism of the Russian quota distributed between a large number of shipowners, with some of them deciding not to operate on such distant grounds.

Central Eastern Atlantic

In the waters of Mauritania and Western Sahara pelagic fisheries in August were conducted by up to five vessels altogether harvesting 10,400 tonnes on a par with July 2008. The harvest was dominated by horse mackerel, the share of which decreased to 44%. The second place was taken by mackerel (30%). The third place was taken by sardinella with the share of 18%. Nearly all the harvest, 86.5% namely, was contributed by the vessels based in Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin.

South Georgia Island

In August 2008 one Kaliningrad-based large trawler was operating in the waters to the north of the South Georgia Island. She periodically reported a small harvest of krill. The ship's total harvest through the month did not exceed 200 tonnes.

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