Russia aims to catch 5%-6% more Alaska pollock in first part of Okhotsk fishing season

MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - Russia's Alaska pollock catch in the first part of the fishing season in the Sea of Okhotsk, Season A from January 1 to April 9, could reach 840,000-850,000 tonnes, which would be 5%-6% more than a year earlier, the Pollock Catchers Association (PCA) said in a press release.

The PCA recalled that the biggest fishing season - the pollock fishing season in the Sea of Okhotsk - began on January 1. The pollock catch in the sea totaled 31,000 tonnes as of January 8.

The total allowable pollock catch in the Sea of Okhotsk has been set at 951,500 tonnes for 2024, 54,500 tonnes more than in 2023. Russian fishers traditionally catch this quota over two seasons: Season A, which lasts 100 days from January 1 to April 9, and Season B, which begins on October 15 and runs to the end of the year. However, about 80% of the allowable catch is caught in Season A, the PCA said.

"Most of the factors on which exploitable concentrations of fish depend are assessed as favorable. Ocean scientists and weather forecasters believe that ice and weather conditions, with the exception of short stormy periods, will not create any obstacles to fishing operations in all fishing areas during the winter/spring period," the press release said.

"Taking into account the forecast of scientists, Season A should be fairly successful. The daily catch during the peak expedition periods will exceed 11,000-12,000 tonnes, and maximum weekly catches are expected to be at a level of up to 70,000 tonnes. About 115 fishing fleet vessels will be involved in the fishing season this year, including six new factory trawlers, three of which were built at Russian shipyards under the investment quota program," PCA president Alexei Buglak was quoted as saying in the release.

He said pollock stocks in the Sea of Okhotsk remain high, higher than the target for biomass. However, scientific monitoring of fishing remains an important instrument for maintaining future fish stocks, which is why 21 scientific observers from the TINRO, KamchatNIRO and MagadanNIRO regional branches of Russia's Federal Fisheries Research Institute will be onboard vessels of PCA members under a joint pollock fishing monitoring program.

Buglak said 18 observers were already on fishing vessels as of January 10 and they will soon be joined by three more.

Russia caught 858,000 tonnes of pollock in seasons A and B last year, the PCA reported.

Pollock fishing is also done in other parts of the Far East fishing basin and its duration is not strictly regulated. Fishing is done when there are sufficient accumulations of fish.

Pollock is Russia's main fishing resource, accounting for 40% of the total fish catch. The country's pollock catch rose 3% to 1.96 million tonnes last year from 1.905 million tonnes in 2022. This is sufficient to meet domestic demand and export a substantial amount of fish, the PCA said.