Outlook for Sakhalin salmon season in 2019

Preliminary forecasts of SakhNIRO fishery research institute indicate much less abundant runs of salmons to the islands as compared to last year 2018, according to SKR.

According to the scientists, the total harvest in Sakhalin is expected at ca.30,000 metric tons of pink salmon and approximately the same amount of chum salmon. This is almost twice lower as compared to the results of the fishing season 2018, when Sakhalin fishermen harvested 126,000 metric tons of salmons.

The scientists forecast that in the Aniva Bay and in the Gulf of Patience, as well as in northeast Sakhalin, pink salmon runs will be extremely scarce. Therefore, in these areas scientists may recommend either not to open fishing at all, or to limit it greatly.

In the South Kuriles the main catch is again expected in Iturup, while in the North Kuriles salmon runs will be somewhat smaller than in 2018.

The salmon fishery forecast normally takes for reference the results of the salmon season of the previous odd year. In the year 2017 Sakhalin fishermen harvested nearly 45,900 tonnes of various salmon species.