Results of Russian fishery in North Atlantic and Central-Eastern Atlantic as per 2nd week of April 2010

On 8-15 April 2010 registered catch of Russian vessels in North Atlantic and Central-Eastern Atlantic amounted to 25,900 tonnes (+2000 tonnes on the results of the fishery operations in the first week of April 2010), reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/) with reference to provisional figures of the National Centre for Fisheries Monitoring and Communication.

Share of the fish harvested by the vessels of Kaliningrad-led West Basin amounted to 22%. In the period under analysis, the capelin fishery in the Barents Sea was finished before the start of the second week of April 2010. Blue whiting fishing operations shifted to the Faroese fishing zone and for the first time after a long period catches of horse mackerel were reported from the South-East area of the Pacific Ocean (Chilean subarea) and amounted to 1,200 tonnes. Thanks to good fishery conditions in the Faroese fishing zone, blue whiting was the dominating species with the share of 36% (9,500 tonnes), followed by cod - 32% (8,300 tonnes) and horse mackerel - 16% (4,000 tonnes).

Russian fleet continued targeting blue whiting mainly within the grounds of the Faroese fishing area. Move of the Russian fleet from the Rockall area to the south of the Faroese fishing zone finished in the first decade of April 2010. Weather and fishery conditions on the blue whiting grounds in the Faroese fishing zone at 60 degrees North and further to the north were satisfactory what contributed no less than 8,000 tonnes with the bycatch of argentine of less than 1%. Total catch of blue whiting that week increased to 9,500 tonnes, including 1,400 tonnes harvested by trawlers on their way to other grounds in the international waters of Rockall. Average fish size at the fishing depths of 400-500 meters amounted to 140-145g. Contribution of Kaliningrad-based fishermen amounted to 33%. After moving to the Faroese waters the range of products onboard Murmansk-based trawlers changed to frozen whole blue whiting 21+ (93%). Kaliningrad-based vessels still produce mainly frozen whole blue whiting 1 grade (86%).

In accordance with seasonal distribution of large mature fish in the Barents Sea, best fishing conditions for groundfish operations remained at the northwest coast of Norway - along Lofoten and further northwards.

Cod catches were stable amounting to 8,300 tonnes, while catches of haddock decreased to 2,000 tonnes (1,100 tonnes down). Saithe catch was also rather steady amounting to 640 tonnes. According to the weekly catch records, the main part of bottomfish species was harvested in the Norwegian EEZ: cod - 56%, haddock - 49% and all of the saithe. The rest of the fish was taken up in the Russian EEZ and in the Grey Zone. There were practically no fishing operations in Spitzbergen area. Since the beginning of the year the total catch of cod exceeded 80,000 tonnes.

In the Central Eastern Atlantic the Russian fishermen continued targeting pelagic species in the EEZs of Mauritania (2,200 tonnes) and Senegal (1,300 tonnes). In the both areas the catches were contributed mostly by horse mackerel: in Mauritanian waters its share amounted to 87%, in Senegal area - 70%, while the share of mackerel amounted to 6% and 14% of catches correspondingly.

The horse mackerel fishery took off in the southeast of the Pacific Ocean (Chilean subarea) and the weekly catch amounted to 1,200 tonnes.

Results of Russian fishery in North Atlantic and Central-Eastern Atlantic as per 2nd week of April 2010 (metric tons)