Russian fisheries in North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic on 24-31 October 2007

In the fourth week of October 2007 Russia's registered catch in provisional figures the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic amounted to 11,200 metric tons, 1700 tonnes down on the result of the previous week, fishery sources in Murmansk told www.fishnet-russia.com (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

The species range did not change much. The bulk of the total harvest was contributed by herring and blue whiting of the Norwegian Sea (27% and 8% correspondingly), mackerel of the Central Eastern Atlantic (14%), cod and haddock of the Barents Sea (14% and 7%).

The decrease of the total harvest by 1700 tonnes through the week was due to lower catches of herring and blue whiting in the Norwegian Sea and cod catches in the Barents Sea. At the same time, the owners reported a slight growth trend of mackerel catches in the Central Eastern Atlantic and catches of polar cod Boreogadus saida in the Barents Sea.

In the Barents Sea the bottomfish operations were conducted by ca.75 vessels. The main fishing efforts (70% namely) on cod and haddock grounds concentrated within the Russian EEZ.

According to the shipowners, the fishery situation was satisfactory and the catch decrease could be attributed mostly to larger number of stormy days and seasonal dispersal of the concentrations. The total harvest of bottomfish species in the Barents Sea through the fourth week of October exceeded 2600 tonnes. Catches of cod totaled 1600 tonnes, 800 tonnes up on the previous week, while catches of haddock amounted to 800 tonnes, 200 tonnes down on the previous week. The Russian EEZ contributed 60% of cod and nearly 100% of haddock.

Red king crab

Up to 20 vessels were harvesting red king crab with trap gear in the Russian waters to the northeast of the Kola Peninsula. The fishery conditions remained satisfactory with the total harvest of red king crab through the week keeping pace with the previous week result of 600 tonnes.

Polar cod

In the fourth week of October 2007 the fishing efforts on the grounds of polar cod Boreogadus saida in the north off the New Land grew to 6 vessels, though the total harvest of the species increased insufficiently by 500 tonnes to 800 tonnes.

Herring

In the Norwegian Sea the group of vessels operating on the herring grounds in the course of the week under analysis kept on decreasing. In the end of the week no more than 6 vessels were targeting the species. As a result of the decreasing fishing efforts, the catch through the week went down by 1300 tonnes to 3000 tonnes.

Blue whiting

Rough weather also affected the blue whiting fishery with the Russian catch falling by 500 tonnes to 900 tonnes.

Northwest Atlantic

In the waters of the Northwest Atlantic two trawlers coming from Murmansk-led North Fisheries Basin were conducting deepwater fishery of Greenland halibut in the western sector of the Greenland zone with the catch rates reported at 5-10 tonnes per day.

Central Eastern Atlantic

In the Central Eastern Atlantic a group of 7 vessels were targeting pelagic fish in the Mauritanian and Morrocan zones. The total harvest through the fourth week of October 2007 amounted to more than 2000 tonnes. The catches contained mostly mackerel (67%).

Russian catch in the North Atlantic and Central Eastern Atlantic on 24-31 October 2007, provisional figures