Russia’s fisheries sector produced almost 4.8 million metric tons (MT) of products last year, which was 2 percent more than in 2016 and the highest total for quarter of a century, confirmed Rosrybolovstvo, the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries.
"This, in our opinion, was the best period in the last 25 years – the second year we are breaking records. I wanted the movement to continue, and the fishermen began a new working year with good mood and pace,” said Pyotr Savchuk, deputy head of Rosrybolovstvo.
The Russian fishing industry recorded total landings of 4,774,000 MT, including freshwater production of 113,400 MT, which was 92,300 MT more than 2016. Although data on freshwater fisheries is still incomplete, an additional 30,000 MT to 40,000 MT could be added to the final total.
Production in the Far Eastern Basin remained on par with 2016 with 3.1 million MT, but there was a decrease of 0.7 percent in the Pacific salmon catch, while the pollock fell by 9,400 MT to 1.7 million MT.
The total catch in the Northern Basin increased by 2,500 MT to 569,200 MT, with wolf fish and crab contributing to the rise, while the cod catch increased by 2,400 MT to 396,700 MT.
In the Azov-Black Sea basin, the overall production volume fell by by 13,400 MT to 90,100 MT due to decreases in the sprat catch and the freshwater fishery. However, anchovy landings increased by 1,300 MT to 50,200 MT.
The Volga-Caspian basin catch totaled 71,900 MT, which was 3,100 MT more than in 2016 and attributed to an increased freshwater harvest, while the Baltic fisheries’ output totaled 75,800 MT, including 38,400 MT of sprats and 22,800 MT of herring.
Russia’s distant water fisheries, meanwhile, caught 493,100 MT of products, which was 61,000 MT more than in 2016, with the rise attributed to increased fishing activities in Angola, Morocco and Japan. In fisheries governed by RFMOs and in international waters, the total catch climbed by 61,100 MT to 310,700 MT.
