Russian scientists recommending increase of pollock TAC in Primorye subarea

The Russian scientists from Vladivostok-based TINRO-Centre fishery research institute have recommended to raise the pollock TAC 2010 in the waters of Primorye (Sea of Japan), reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to PrimaMedia.

More specifically, the scientists have studied the results of the surveys conducted in spring 2009 from the mouth of the Tumannaya River to the Zolotoy Cape as well as to the north of the Zolotoy Cape. The bottom trawl survey has shown that the recommended TAC which was earlier prepared for the Primorye subarea on the basis of the surveys of the recent years and amounted to 3500 tonnes, has to be corrected upwards as the abundance of the stocks has increased mostly at the expense of the generous class of 2006.

In the recent years the pollock stocks actually tended to decrease in the Primorye subarea which negatively affected the fishery's efficiency and correspondingly the fishermen's interest in the species. At present, the scientists day catches have started growing. This year, according to the official statistics, in the first seven months the fishermen harvested 462 tonnes of pollock, nearly two times up on the result of all the 12 months last year.

According to the spring survey 2009, the abundance of the pollock stock in Primorye is estimated at 243 million fish and the biomass is estimated at 41,500 tonnes. Taking into account the pelagic pollock stock which has not been covered by the survey, even with a very conservative approach the above figures would rise correspondingly to 282 million and 48,600 tonnes. The bulk of the harvest this year was contributed by pollock of ca.28-33 cm, most of which (70%) was contributed by the generous class of three-year-old pollock born in 2006.

The commercial stock of pollock in the Primorye subarea in 2010 will be represented mostly by the classes of 2004, 2005 and 2006. The abundance of market-size fish will amounted to ca.109 million pollock and their biomass will amounted to 40,400 tonnes, the scientists say. The pollock TAC for the Primorye subarea is therefore recommended at 9400 tonnes. To the north of the Zolotoy Cape where the stocks are not so large now the pollock TAC will amount to ca.900 tonnes, and the share of the TAC to be covered to the south of the Zolotoy Cape will amount to 8500 tonnes.

Taking into account that in the recent years the pollock fishery is conducted mostly in spring and summer within the territorial sea and the scientists think that its harvest in the 12-mile zone will amount to at least 40% or 3800 tonnes.