Russian fisheries in North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic as per mid-November 2009

The total harvest of Russian vessels in the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic from 8 to 15 November 2009 amounted to ca.19,000 tonnes, thus displaying a decrease by 400 tonnes on the result of the previous month, fishery sources in Murmansk told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/) with reference to provisional figures of National Centre for Fisheries Monitoring and Communication.

The contribution of Kaliningrad-based fleets grew to 15% of Russia's total harvest in the area.

The main fishing areas and species were typical for the autumn-winter period: cod and haddock fishery with bycatch of demersal fish, red king crab and polar cod Boreogadus saida in the Barents Sea, herring fishery in the Norwegian Sea and pelagic fisheries in Western Sahara (Central Eastern Atlantic).

The first three places in terms of catch volumes were taken by herring (25%), cod (22%) and polar cod (21%). The herring harvest in the Norwegian Sea was gradually declining and amounted to 4800 tonnes through the week from 8 to 15 November 2009, 2400 tonnes down on the previous week, while catches of cod increased to 4200 tonnes (+1300 tonnes on the previous week). The polar cod harvest exceeded 4000 tonnes for the second week running.

Catches of red king crab remained comparably stable, but started to dwindle and amounted to 340 tonnes (-80 tonnes). In the Central Eastern Atlantic where the catch rates were reported at ca.3700 tonnes the dominating species harvested in the waters of Western Sahara were horse mackerel (46%), sardine (28%) and sardinella (14%).

Barents Sea

Bottomfish operations in the Barents Sea were conducted by ca.40 vessels, the bulk of which (namely 60%) worked in the sea's northwest where larger fish concentrated. Weather improvement told on the fishery results with the cod harvest through the week growing to 4200 tonnes (+1300 tonnes), the bulk of fish harvested in the waters of Spitsbergen (65%). The haddock harvest through the week under analysis amounted to 645 tonnes (-117 tonnes), of which 60% were fished in the Russian EEZ. The saithe harvest beyond the Norwegian EEZ remained at the minimum level.

On the red king grounds in the Russian EEZ the fishing efforts decreased to 17 vessels equipped with trap gear, which evidently told on the fishery results, the catch rates namely declining to 340 tonnes (minus 81 tonnes). The bulk of the concentrations of fishable crab males with the carapace of more than 150mm spread on the grounds at 6840-6900 North 39-41 degrees East at the depths of 150-200 meters. The average catch rates amounted to less than 3 tonnes per day.

A group of 5-6 trawlers was operating on the polar cod grounds along the New Land coast. Stable conditions were noticed in the inshore waters of the 75th degree North at the depths of less than 170 meters. With the average catch rates of 70 tonnes per day at sea (sometimes the catch was limited only by processing capacities) the total harvest did not exceed 4000 tonnes for the second week running.

Norwegian Sea

A group of up to 10 vessels continued active herring fishery within the Norwegian EEZ at a distance of 70-150 miles to the northwest of Lofoten. The concentrations remained fairly strong with mostly large herring 300+ accounting for at least 35% of the harvest. Taking into account the quotas' exhaustion by several shipowners the area's total harvest declined by 2400 tonnes to 4800 tonnes. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to 34%. The blue whiting harvest through the week totaled less than 100 tonnes.

Central Eastern Atlantic

Pelagic fisheries in the waters of Western Sahara were conducted by 4-5 large trawlers, the total harvest through the week growing by 500 tonnes to 3700 tonnes. In the first seven days of the month their catches were dominated by horse mackerel (46%), sardine (28%) and sardinella (14%). The share of mackerel amounted to no more than 10%.

Provisional catch figures for North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic in 8-15 November 2009