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

In June 2008 the total harvest of Russian vessels in the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic amounted to ca.85,400 tonnes, thus displaying a decrease by 1000 tonnes on the result of the previous month. Kaliningrad-based fleets contributed about 15% to Russia's total harvest in the area, fishery sources in Murmansk, with reference to provisional figures of National Centre for Fisheries Monitoring and Communication as per mid-July 2008, told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

In the Barents Sea Russia's catches of bottomfish remained mostly unchanged. In the Norwegian Sea the harvest of blue whiting decreased by 5900 tonnes due to a transition period of the stocks' migration to the feeding grounds. At the same time, the bycatch of herring on the blue whiting grounds increased and in the end of the month the fishermen launched a dedicated fishery of mackerel.

In the second half of the month the fishermen began reporting about occasional recessions on the grounds of ocean perch Sebastes mentella in the Irminger Sea after a period of favourable weather observed in the first half of June 2008. As a result, catches of ocean perch decreased to 4100 tonnes, 2200 tonnes down on May 2008.

The harvest of pelagic species in the Central Eastern Atlantiс grew to 12,800 tonnes, 4000 tonnes up on May 2008. The increase could be attributed mostly to larger fishing efforts.

Barents Sea

According to the ship operators, the fishery conditions on the grounds of bottomfish were favourable in June 2008. There were 75-80 vessels operating on the grounds daily, the bulk of which, 65-70% namely, were operating in the Russian waters. A small group of vessels were conducting fisheries in the waters of Spitsbergen along the depths break from the Bear Island to the West Spitsbergen. The harvest of cod amounted to 27,400 tonnes though the month, 2400 tonnes down on May 2008. Smaller catches of cod could be attributed mostly to decreased fishing efforts. In its turn, the harvest of haddock grew to 11,100 tonnes, 3100 tonnes up on the corresponding result of May 2008. In the south of the Barents Sea within the Russian EEZ the fishery conditions enabled the fleets to conduct dedicated fishery of small fish of under 1 kilo on the average. According to the distribution of the fishing efforts, the bulk of the cod harvest in June, 65% namely, was contributed by the Russian EEZ. In the northwest of the sea the Russian fishermen harvested 35% of cod out of the total harvest. The bulk of the haddock catch (75%) was also harvested in the Russian waters, while the remaining 24% of the harvest were contributed by the northwest part of the sea. The total harvest of bottomfish species in the Barents Sea in June remained at the level of the previous month, at 39,800 tonnes namely. The share of cod in the total harvest of bottomfish amounted to 70%.

The cod and haddock catch in the Barents Sea in January-June 2008 was estimated at 160,000 metric tons at the least. The Russian cod quota was therefore covered at 60%, and the haddock quota was exhausted at 57%.

Norwegian Sea

In the first half of June the blue whiting fishery was conducted mostly in the Faroese fishing zone. In the remaining period of the month the bulk of the fleet moved more to the north, namely into the south part of the enclave of the Norwegian Sea.

The Russian fleet operating in the area consisted of 10-20 vessels. Due to the transition period connected with the active migration of spent fish to the feeding grounds, as well as due to a switch of some of the vessels to the dedicated fishery of mackerel in the end of the month, the harvest of blue whiting in June 2008 decreased to 25,300 tonnes, 5900 tonnes down on May 2008.

The share of the harvest contributed by Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to no more than 25%. Catches in the Faroese fishing zone and in the international waters of the sea amounted to 47% and 53% correspondingly. While in the Faroese fishing zone the vessels based in Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin and Kaliningrad-led West Fisheries Basin made approximately equal contributions to the harvest, in the enclave of the Norwegian Sea (international waters) practically the whole harvest was contributed by the vessels coming from Murmansk.

According to the provisional estimates, the landings of blue whiting through the first half of 2008 were forecasted at ca.190,000 tonnes, 33% of which were harvested by Kaliningrad-based vessels. As per the start of July 2008, the Russian quota of blue whiting was covered at 75%.

According to the ship operators, on the blue whiting grounds in the northeast of the Faroese fishing zone and in the south of the open part of the Norwegian Sea the bycatch of Atlanto-Scandian herring was increasing and the total harvest of the species in June amounted to 1600 tonnes.

Since the start of the year the herring harvest amounted to ca.14,500 tonnes, 20% of which were contributed by Kaliningrad-led West Fisheries Basin. The Russian herring quota has been covered at less than 10% so far. On 25-30 June 2008 there were conditions for active mackerel fishery in the south part of the enclave of the Norwegian Sea, and the harvest of mackerel through the month amounted to ca.1400 tonnes, 57% of which were contributed by the vessels coming from Kaliningrad.

Irminger Sea

The fishery of ocean perch Sebastes mentella in the Irminger Sea (open part of the Northeast Atlantic in the NEAFC zone) in June 2008 was continued on the traditional grounds along the south border of the Icelandic fishing zone. The Russian fleet consisted of 11-15 vessels. According to the captains, the main fishing area was located on the traditional grounds along the border of the 200-mile zone of Iceland in between 29-30 degrees West. The bulk of the fishing time the conditions were reported as fairly stable, though they were considerably weaker than in 2007. Ocean perch spread mostly at the depths of 600-700 meters, the average rates of TSM vessels was recorded at 12 metric tons per day at the least. In the closing ten days of June 2008 the fishermen were reporting unstable catches, as they had to spend some time to search for more efficient grounds. The total harvest of ocean perch through the month was estimated at 4100 tonnes, 2200 tonnes down on May 2008. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 54%. The harvest of ocean perch since the start of the year amounted to ca.10,400 tonnes, 58% of which were contributed by the vessels coming from Kaliningrad. The quota take-up amounted to more than 20%.

Central Eastern Atlantic

In the waters of Mauritania and Western Sahara the Russian harvest of pelagic species in June 2008 grew to 12,800 tonnes, 4000 tonnes up on May 2008. The share of the vessels coming from Kaliningrad amounted to less than 15%. The bulk of catches was contributed by horse mackerel (50%), mackerel (24%) and sardinella (17%).

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