Vladivostok scientists forecasting on Okhotsk pollock fishery in 2010

In early December 2009 scientists from Vladivostok-based TINRO-Centre fishery research institute have announced their forecasts on the Okhotsk pollock fishery 2010 which is expected to be generally good, though certain difficulties are expected to impede production of popular pollock products, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to the fishery sources in Vladivostok.

In 2010 the pollock TAC in the Sea of Okhotsk has been defined at 1058,400 metric tons, 22% up on the TAC 2009. As for the fishing areas, the TAC 2010 has been broken down as follows: 390,000 tonnes in the North Okhotsk subarea, 365,800 tonnes in the West Kamchatka subarea, 254,200 tonnes in the Kamchatka Kurile subarea and 48,400 tonnes in the East Sakhalin subarea.

According to the scientific forecasts, in winter the ice conditions are expected to be favourable for the fishing operations with the ice coverage to reach 65-70% at most. The West Kamchatka shelf will get free from ice earlier than normally. The results of the resource surveys in 2009 have not only confirmed the rise of the spawning pollock stock in the north part of the Sea of Okhotsk during the recent years, but also appeared to be higher than last year. The spawning stock has been steadily growing.

The fishermen who are engaged in fillet and roe production are expected to be facing certain problems.

Mature pollock recruiting the commercial stock will only reach the market-size of 36-40 cm, therefore there are concerns that the fishermen will have to process larger volumes of pollock in order to get larger roe output from small of roe sacks.

Problems are also expected with fillet production, especially in the North Okhotsk subarea. Somewhat larger will be pollock in the Kamchatka Kurile subarea.

In 2010 TINRO scientists have recommended to cover no more than 70% of the TAC in the winter-spring period, just like in the current year 2009. The remaining TAC can be covered in autumn-winter on the wintering concentrations of pollock.