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

In July 2008 the total harvest of Russian vessels in the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic amounted to ca.94,000 tonnes, thus displaying an increase by 8600 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 mid-August 2008, told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

Kaliningrad-based fleets contributed about 22% to Russia's total harvest in the area.

In the Barents Sea Russia's fleets reported a decrease of cod catches by 7700 tonnes, which was connected with smaller fishing efforts in July and more dispersed condition of concentrations in the feeding period.

In the Norwegian Sea there was a decrease of blue whiting catch, namely by 14,700 tonnes, which could be attributed to the take-up of the Russian quota in the NEAFC waters. At the same time, thanks to more active operations in the international waters the Russian fishermen increased their catches of mackerel by 22,200 tonnes and herring by 11,800 tonnes. On the grounds of ocean perch Sebastes mentella in the Irminger Sea the Russian harvest remained at the same level of 3400 tonnes. A slight decrease by 700 tonnes could be attributed by the fishery suspension in the north of the Irminger Sea after the 15th of July 2008 as regulated by the NEAFC and the move of the remaining vessels to the southwest part of the sea. Pelagic catches in the Central Eastern Atlantic went down by 1700 tonnes to 11,100 tonnes due to smaller fishing efforts.

Barents Sea

The conditions for bottomfish operations in July were satisfactory. As compared to June 2008, the number of vessels decreased by 15-20%, which resulted into the total results of landings. There were less than 60 vessels operating on the grounds on the average. In the first half of July the bulk of the fleet was operating in the southeast part of the sea within the Russian zone, then the fishing efforts spread equally with the Spitsbergen area. As a result, the total harvest of bottomfish amounted to 31,600 tonnes. The share of cod in the total harvest in the Barents Sea amounted to more than 60%, while the share of haddock was reported at 32%. As the fishing efforts grew smaller, landings of cod through July 2008 went down by 7600 tonnes to 19,800 tonnes, and landings of haddock decreased by 800 tonnes to 10,300 tonnes. In the Russian waters the nation's fishermen harvested 55% of cod and 80% of haddock. Since the start of the year (January-July 2008) catches of cod and haddock in the Barents Sea were estimated at 143,000 tonnes and 47,000 tonnes correspondingly. The Russian quota of cod was covered at 79%, and the haddock quota was exhausted at 72%. In July one of the trawlers was sporadically targeting shrimps in the enclave of the Barents Sea. With the average catch rates of no more than 5 tonnes per day the total harvest of shrimp in the Barents Sea amounted to ca.150 tonnes in July 2008 and 280 tonnes since the start of the year.

Norwegian Sea

The main fishery of pelagic species (mackerel, blue whiting and herring) was conducted by the Russian vessels in the international waters of the Norwegian Sea where there were at least 25 trawlers in the course of the month. A small part of the fleet was periodically working in the north part of the Faroese fishing zone. Mackerel with the bycatch of herring and blue whiting was harvested in the south part of the enclave on the grounds to the south of the 68th degree North. Starting from the middle of the month the most active herring fishery with the bycatch of blue whiting was conducted on the grounds at the 71-73 degree North. In the end of July 2008 some of the vessels entered the waters of Spitsbergen in order to continue harvesting herring to the south of the Bear Island. The fishery conditions for all the species were fairly stable. July was the most favourable month for fishery of mackerel, the shipments of which won the leading positions in the total volume of catches. By the end of the first ten days of the month the Russian quota of 109,000 tonnes of blue whiting in the NEAFC waters was completely exhausted and the users of blue whiting quotas in the Faroese fishing zone and in the Norwegian EEZ got the opportunity to continue blue whiting fishery in the NEAFC waters at the expense of their own quotas. As a result, the Russian landings were estimated at 23,600 tonnes of mackerel (+22,400 tonnes), 13,400 tonnes of herring (+11,800 tonnes) and 10,600 tonnes of blue whiting (+14,700 tonnes). The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels to the above catches amounted to 51%, 18% and 27% correspondingly.

The Russian harvest of mackerel since the start of the year was estimated at ca.25,000 tonnes, while the harvest of herring and blue whiting (with respect to the area to the west of the British Isles) amounted to 28,000 tonnes and 203,000 tonnes respectively.

Irminger Sea

The fishery of ocean perch Sebastes mentella in the Irminger Sea (open part of the Northeast Atlantic in the NEAFC zone) in the first half of July was conducted on the traditional grounds along the south border of the Icelandic fishing zone at the 30th degree West. As the take-up of the fishing quotas was progressing, the fishing efforts were decreasing from 25 to 15-10 vessels. In that period the fishery conditions were satisfactory with the average efficiency of the TSM vessels reported at ca.10 metric tons per day, and by the beginning of the second half of the month they grew worse. According to the regulation measures of the NEAFC, after 15 July 2008 the Russian vessels left the area to the north of the 59th degree North and they had to move to the area to the south of Greenland. In the NAFO waters the fishery was non-stable, and the quality of the raw fish was worse than in the north of the sea (smaller size and larger extensiveness of Copepoda (Sphirion lump) invasion of ocean perch. The total harvest of ocean perch through the month amounted to 3400 tonnes, 700 tonnes down on the previous month. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 53%. The Russian harvest of ocean perch in the Irminger Sea since the start of the year amounted to ca.14,000 tonnes, of which 8500 tonnes were harvested by Kaliningrad-based vessels.

Central Eastern Atlantic

In the waters of Mauritania and Western Sahara pelagic fisheries in July were conducted on a limited scale. The group consisted of less than 5 large vessels who all together harvested 11,100 tonnes, 1100 tonnes down. The harvest in July 2008 was dominated by horse mackerel (58%). The share of mackerel amounted to 10%. Nearly all the harvest was contributed by the vessels based in Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin.

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