Overview of Russian fisheries in North and Central Atlantic in February 2012

In February 2012 the fishery activity continued developing and, according to estimated figures, through the month the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean amounted to 109,500 MT, 4,600 MT up on January 2012. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to ca.21%, reports www.megafishnet.com.

Bottom trawl operations in the Barents Sea were conducted by up to 71 middle trawlers from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin and two vessels from Kaliningrad, as well as up to 30 small inshore boats based in Murmansk. The fishery was conducted in three subareas of the sea: namely in the Norwegian EEZ (62% of the total bottomfish harvest in the Barents Sea), in the Russian zone (20%) and in the waters of Spitsbergen (18%). In the first area the fishermen harvested 27,500 MT of bottomfish, 1,700 MT down on January, including 22,500 MT of cod (-4,600 MT) and 3,600 MT of haddock (+2,400 MT). The harvest in the Russian zone amounted to 9,000 MT (-200 MT), of which 4,900 MT of cod (-1,000 MT) and 3,700 MT (+600 MT). In the waters of Spitsbergen the fishermen harvested 7,900 MT (-500 MT), with the bulk of the catch contributed by haddock - 5,300 MT (-800 MT), while the share of cod remained on the January level of 1,900 MT.

The dedicated fishery of saithe in the Norwegian EEZ was conducted by one Murmansk-based trawler and another 5 reported catches of mostly that species. The total saithe harvest in the period under analysis amounted to 300 MT.

In the Russian EEZ five small vessels coming from Murmansk conducted dedicated fishery of flounder. Their catch through the period amounted to less than 100 MT of fish.

Cod fishery and other bottomfish longline operations in the Barents Sea were conducted by 7 vessels coming from Murmansk. They were working nearly in all the areas of the sea: Spitsbergen, the Norwegian EEZ, the Russian EEZ and the Grey zone. The best fishery efficiency was recorded in the waters of Spitsbergen and in the Norwegian EEZ, where the Russian fishermen harvested 12-14 MT per day, while in other areas the catch rates were lower at 9-11 MT per day.

According to provisional figures, remainder of the Russian cod quota amounts to 80% and haddock - 84%.

Capelin fishery in the Barents Sea was conducted by up to 26 Murmansk-based trawlers and 7 trawlers coming from Kaliningrad. In the course of the month the vessels were moving from the Russian zone to the Grey zone and the Norwegian EEZ. The fishery situation was non-stable and the average catch rates of BATM big trawlers fluctuated from 30 to 130 MT. The harvest through the month amounted to 35,600 MT of capelin, of which 29% were contributed by Kaliningrad-based trawlers. The total catch from the beginning of the year amounted to 44,000 MT (44.4% of the Russian quota of 99,000 MT). For comparison, in January-February 2011 the capelin catch amounted to 55,600 MT.

The herring fishery in the Norwegian EEZ was conducted by 5 Murmansk-based trawlers, four of which finished fishery in the first ten days of February 2012 and the last one TSM Oma owned by SPK RK Murman ceased herring fishery on 20 February 2012. The catch through the month totaled 2,000 MT of herring (-8,300 MT). The total catch through the first two months of the year amounted to 12,300 MT of herring or 10.4% of the Russian quota of 118,600 MT. For comparison, in January-February 2011 the catch amounted to 19,700 MT.

Blue whiting fishery in the waters of the Faroe Islands was conducted by BATM Armenak Babayev owned by ZAO Westrybflot until 9 February 2012. The fishery situation was satisfactory, the average daily catches amounted to 70-80 MT per day. The catch through the month amounted to 600 MT of blue whiting. The total catch for the first two months of the year amounted to 1,300 MT of blue whiting or 2.7% of the Russian quota of 50,000 MT. In January-February 2011 the harvest was approximately the same at 1,200 MT.

On 15 February 2012 Kapitan Gorbachyov trawler owned by OAO Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet started targeting blue whiting in the waters of the Rockall Bank, later three more Russian vessels joined her on the grounds. The vessels were fishing in between the 5040-5200 degrees North and 1530-1700 degrees West moving southwards in the course of the month. The fishery situation was fairly good; catches of BATM big trawlers were stable at 90-100 MT per day. The total harvest from the beginning of the year amounted to 4,000 MT (12% of the Russian quota of 33,500 MT).

In the Northwest Atlantic in the NAFO zone three trawlers coming from Murmansk were mostly targeting cod and ocean perch sometimes switching to halibut. The conditions were especially favourable on the grounds of cod, catches of which were reported at 20-40 MT per day, while the situation on the ocean perch grounds was non-stable with the daily rates fluctuating from 4 to 20 MT.

Fishery in the waters of Morocco in the course of the month was conducted by 2 vessels owned by Kaliningrad-based ZAO Westreybflot. One trawler left the area in the first ten days of the month, the second with a break for unloading was fishing up to the end of the month. The fishery situation was satisfactory, the average daily catches amounted to 70-100 MT of mackerel. Due to exhaustion of the Russian quota for pelagic species the fishery was finished on 29 February 2012. The total catch in February 2012 amounted to 2,200 MT (-3,400 MT) of mostly mackerel. The harvest in the Moroccan waters for the first two months of the year amounted to 7,800 MT.

The fishery operations in the Mauritanian waters were conducted by three trawlers of OOO Alliance Marine from Saint Petersburg. They were working in the area's centre and north between 1800-2040 degrees North. The fishery situation was satisfactory, catches of BMRTIB big trawlers ranges from 20 to 70 MT per day. The harvest through the month amounted to 3,400 MT (+2,200 MT), including 2,300 MT of horse mackerel, 600 MT of mackerel, 200 MT of sardine and 100 MT of sardinella. The total harvest through the first two months of the year amounted to 4,400 MT. In January-February 2011 the Russian fishermen harvested 5,900 MT of fish in the Mauritanian waters.

Pelagic fisheries in the waters of Senegal were conducted by 6 trawlers coming from Murmansk and 2 from Kaliningrad. They were working all over the area. The fishery situation was non-stable, average daily catches of RTMKS middle trawlers fluctuated from 50 to 120 MT. The total catch through February 2012 amounted to 11,000 MT (+1,300 MT), including 7,700 MT of horse mackerel, 1,800 MT of mackerel and 700 MT of sardinella. The harvest from the beginning of the year amounted to 20,700 MT. For comparison, in January-February 2011 the harvest totaled 25,800 MT.

On 20 February 2012 Kaliningrad-based BATM Lider joined two other BATM big trawlers coming from Murmansk, namely Kapitan Veselkov and Nikolay Kudryavtsev, on the grounds in the Namibian waters. Kaliningrad trawler reported better daily catch rates (up to 100 MT) than her Murmansk colleagues which could be attributed to her better technical condition. The harvest through the week under analysis amounted to 2,500 MT, and the total catch from the year start amounted to 3,100 MT.

In the Antarctic part of the Pacific Ocean in the first ten days of February 2012 Chio Maru No.3 longliner based in the Russian Far East was targeting toothfish in the Rocca Sea, while in the closing ten days of the month she moved to the Amundsen Sea. Catches were reported at 1-4 MT per day.

Russian harvest of main commercial species in North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic in January-February 2012