Russian fishermen expecting another record salmon harvest

Head of Russia's State Fisheries Agency Andrey Krainy says that according to the scientists' forecasts the salmon TACs 2008 may amount to 344,000 metric tons, including 321,000 tonnes in the territorial sea and 23,000 tonnes in the Russian EEZ. For comparison, in the recent two years the Russian fishermen reported record high catches of salmon species of 319,200 tonnes in 2007 and 300,600 tonnes in 2006.

The salmon season is basic for the economy of practically all the administrative regions of the Russian Far East. According to the Federal Fisheries Agency, Pacific salmons contribute 10% of Russia's total harvest and they provide 21% of the value of the nation's total fish output and 15% of tallage of the industry to the budget.

The salmon season is also highly important for the employment in the area. More specifically, the salmon season annually provides seasonal jobs for 40,000 fishermen or 175,000 fishermen and processors. This year salmon catches will be received by up to 75 ships.

Hopes for good catches this year are also backed by timely start of the season thanks to recent amendments introduced into the federal law on fishery and the Government's order "On holding tenders of the rights for making agreement on allocating fishing site for commercial fishery and on making such agreement". The latter document has made it possible to conduct tenders and allocate fishing sites to the companies for a period of 20 years before the start of the current salmon season.