Results of Russian fisheries in the North Atlantic and Central Atlantic in August 2007

The total harvest of the Russian fishing vessels in the North Atlantic through August 2007 has displayed some increase. In provisional figures, it amounted to 99,700 metric tons, 5600 tonnes up on the catch in July 2007, fishery sources in Murmansk told http://www.fishnet-russia.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

Despite a considerable catch drop of bottomfish species in the Barents Sea, blue whiting and mackerel in the Norwegian Sea and ocean perch Sebastes mentella in the Sea of Irminger due to seasonal changes, the total harvest through the month has considerably increased. Such positive catch dynamics is attributed mostly to active herring fishery in the Norwegian Sea.

Barents Sea

In the Barents Sea cod and haddock spread on a vast area along the border of the feeding grounds thus pushing the catches down by 4800 and 3500 tonnes correspondingly. The fishing efforts in the course of the month moved towards Spitsbergen with the grounds contributing more than 50% of cod and haddock catches. The total catch of bottomfish in the Barents Sea through August amounted to 25,800 tonnes, 9100 tonnes down on the previous month. Since the start of the year the total harvest of cod in the Barents Sea amounted to ca.130,000 tonnes and as per early September 70% of the Russian quota were covered. The haddock harvest through 8 months exceeded 46,000 tonnes and the quota take-up was also within 70%.

Norwegian Sea

In the Norwegian Sea the bulk of the fleet in the course of August was engaged in herring fishery with total catches reported at 47,000 tonnes, an increase of 37,800 tonnes on July 2007. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based fleets amounted to 35% at the utmost.

Norwegian spring-spawning herring was harvested in all the five fishing areas (Faroe fishing zone, Yan-Mayen zone, enclave, Spitsbergen and Norwegian EEZ), but the bulk of the harvest was contributed by the open part of the Norwegian Sea (ca.47%) and the Bear-Spitsbergen area to the south of the Bear Island (26%). The share of fish harvested in the Norwegian EEZ and in the Yan-Mayen zone amounted to 14% and 12% correspondingly.

The dominating herring size was 200-300 and the share of larger herring 300+ did not exceed 20%.

Since the start of the year the herring harvest amounted to ca.74,000 metric tons and the quota was covered at no more than 50%.

Due to the end of the fishing season landings of mackerel considerably decreased by 10,300 tonnes on the previous month. Landings of blue whiting also dropped by 11,300 tonnes due to smaller fishing efforts caused by the fleet's switch to herring fishery. As a result, the total catch of pelagic species in the Norwegian Sea through the month amounted to ca.40,000, 16200 tonnes up on the corresponding result of July 2007. According to provisional figures, the overall harvest of mackerel since the start of the year is estimated at 34,000 metric tons with the contribution of Kaliningrad-led West Fisheries Basin amounting to 52%. The Russian mackerel quota was covered practically at full extent. The total catch of blue whiting through the first eight months of the current year 2007 amounted to ca.215,000 harvested in all the areas and the share of the West Fisheries Basin amounted to 35%. Taking into account a future option to take up the NEEZ quota in the enclave, the Russian quota has already been covered at 70%.

Irminger Sea

In the Irminger Sea the fishing efforts on the grounds of ocean perch S.mentella were decreasing in August and some of the vessels moved to the Norwegian Sea. The total catch of ocean perch amounted to no more than 3500 metric tons, 1900 tonnes down on the corresponding result of the previous month. The fishery was conducted mostly to the south off Greenland within the NAFO zone. The bulk of the harvest, more than 61% namely, was contributed by the fishermen of Kaliningrad-based West Fisheries Basin. The Russian harvest of ocean perch exceeded 26,000 tonnes since the start of the year and 60% of the above volume was contributed by Kaliningrad-based West Fisheries Basin. Russia's quota of 2600 tonnes for capture in Greenland's zone was covered at more than 80%. Separate vessels conducted limited halibut fishery in the western part of the Greenland zone and at the Flemish Cape with the total harvest of less than 200 tonnes.

Central Eastern Atlantic

In the Central Eastern Atlantic (Mauritanian zone) Russia's catches of pelagic species stabilized at 14,000 tonnes. Unlike July 2007 when catches were dominated by mackerel, horse mackerel and sardinella with the share of each species amounting to ca.30%. The bulk of the harvest (more than 70%) in August was contributed by sardinella.