Results of Russian fisheries in the North Atlantic on 8-15 April 2007

Russia's total harvest in the waters of the North Atlantic on 8-15 April kept on decreasing and the lag on the first week of April 2007 amounted to 2800 tonnes. The main reason behind the decrease was diminishing catches of blue whiting (4800 tonnes) due to the fishery closure in the international waters and relocation of the bulk of the fleet to the southern part of the Faroese fishing zone. The catch range remained unchanged in general: the first five places with the largest catch volumes were blue whiting harvested in the open part of the sea near the Rockall Bank and in the southern part of the Faroese fishing zone), cod and haddock and saithe in the Barents Sea, sardine in the Central Eastern Atlantic.

Barents Sea

In the Barents Sea the fishery conditions remained satisfactory. Up to 60 ships (including ca.10 longliners) were actually fishing. The bulk of the fishing fleet was located in the Norwegian zone along the territorial waters of north and northwest Norway. According to captains, large fish was found mostly inside the territorial waters of Norway. As a result, cod and haddock catches through the week remained practically unchanged at 2900 and 600 tonnes correspondingly. With the dedicated saithe fishery recommended in the Norwegian EEZ (potential harvest of up to 5000 tonnes), on 8-15 April 2007 the fishery of the species livened up and catches reached 1400 tonnes, 950 tonnes up on the result of the previous week. Main grounds for saithe fishery and its large bycatch were located along the Lofoten and in the north of the Norwegian EEZ.

International waters and the Faroese fishing zone

Taking into account peculiarities of the transition period when spent blue whiting was actively moving to the north into the southern part of the Norwegian Sea, the Russian fleet was also actively changing its location. By the middle of April the blue whiting fishery in the international waters was practically finished.

In the southern part of the Faroese fishing zone up to 24 large trawlers, including 10 ships from the West Fisheries Basin, were operating on the grounds along the 60th degree North. The transition period resulted into decreased catches of less than 8000 tonnes of blue whiting through the week under analysis.

Northwest Atlantic

In the NAFO zone three trawlers coming from Russia's North Fisheries Basin were operating on the grounds with the catch rates being non-stable from 3 to 12 tonnes of mixed species (black halibut, ocean perch, plaice, red hake, grenadier and shrimp) per ship. Halibut used to dominate in catches. A group of 7-8 trawlers was formed in the area of the forthcoming season of ocean perch Sebastes mentella. The group kept on working on the grounds at the 61st degree North 29th degree West. According to provisional information from the shipowners, this season trawlers have been sent to the grounds too early. Hopes for earlier fishery start did not come true and the bulk of catches did not exceed 5 tonnes per day.

Central Eastern Atlantic

In the waters of Western Sahara the Russian fleet targeting pelagic species gradually increased in number. By the middle of April pelagics were harvested by at least 6 ships. Thus, the total harvest of pelagic species in the area grew to 3400 tonnes through the week of 8-15 April, 1500 tonnes up on the result of the first week of April. The dominating species were sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel.

Russian catch in the North Atlantic through the first half of April 2007, metric tons