News - page 15

Pollock fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk and in the Bering Sea, herring fishery in the Olyutorsk and Karaginsk Bays and salmon fishery are main contributors to the Russian wild fish harvest in the Far East Basin and the bulk of it (about 90%) comes from Kamchatka waters, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ with reference to KamchatNIRO research institute.

Half of all Russian commercial fisheries could be declared sustainable and MSC-certified by the year 2013, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

According to estimated figures, in November 2011 the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean and Southeast Pacific decreased by 36,700 MT to 70,300 MT. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 17%, reports www.megafishnet.com.

According to fishing fleets’ managers Russia is virtually facing a situation of forthcoming rapid fleet decline because of old age and condition of the fishing boats unless urgent measures are taken to rectify the problem. So far the options explored to take the challenge have had to do with rebuilding, conversion and refitting. For example, Pacific Andes, very active in an indirect way in Russian pollock fisheries, has recently preferred to extend the hull of a BATM large trawler, convert an old tanker to a mothership and start refitting the 10 year + old Victoria floating processor currently rusting in China. The fast growing Karat Group (the new owner of Kamchatka-based Akros) has sold two old boats to buy a 15-year old supertrawler. However neither rebuilding nor purchase of second-hand vessels is an adequate answer to the threat. Could an international solution be found for the huge task by combining the forces of the newly-formed giant United Shipbuilding Corporation (Russia) and, let us say, Norwegian yards?

According to provisional figures as per 15 November 2011, the total salmon harvest in the Russian Far East in 2011 amounts to *** MT. The grand total harvest including driftnet catches (Russian and Japanese) is as high as *** MT, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

In October 2011 Russian fishermen were targeting Alaska pollock in the Bering Sea and in the Sea of Okhotsk, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Sakhalin judicial authorities continue campaign on early termination of agreements on ten-year shares of capture quotas with those companies which have covered less than one half of their allocations two years running, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Lithuania and Russia have come to an agreement on capture quotas 2012 in the Curonian Bay and in Lake Vistytis, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

According to estimated figures, in October 2011 the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean and Southeast Pacific decreased by 11,400 MT to 107,000 MT. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 35%, reports www.megafishnet.com.

Mixed Russian-Norwegian Fisheries Commission has raised Russian capture quotas for fish stocks jointly regulated by two countries in the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Faxi RE, owners HB Grandi, Iceland, was due to dock in Vopnafjördur at 1900 tonight with 700 tonnes of herring on board, all caught in a single shot in Breidafjördur. This is Faxi's second trip on herring after the domestic summer-spawning herring fishery opened. The first trip was also a 700 tonnes, but taken in two shots, according to HB Grandi.

Russia's Federal Fisheries Agency has approved finfish and shellfish TACs 2012 in the nation's Far East Basin, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/