Russian fish catches up 0.5% in first half of the year

The Russian Economic and Life website reported on July 13 that data released by the Russian Ministry of Agriculture showed that as of July 9, 2018, the total fish catch in Russia was 2.53 million tons, an increase of 0.5% over the same period last year. The Baltic Sea, northern waters and Far Eastern waters guarantee an increase in catch.

Total fish catch in the Far East waters was 1.688 million tonnes, compared to 1.687 million tonnes in the same period in 2017.

Catches in northern waters reached 385 000 tonnes, an increase of 49,400 tonnes over the same period last year, and 65,900 tonnes of woolly scales.

Total baltic catch increased by 2,560 tonnes to 51,600 tonnes. Herring catch was 30,800 tonnes, an increase of 1,380 tonnes over 2017. Herring catch in the Baltic Sea was 15,500 tonnes, an increase of 1,960 tonnes from 2017.

Fishing in the waters of the Sea of Azov-Black Sea was 41,200 tonnes, down 8,110 tonnes from the same period last year. Fishing for European anchovies, herring and other species has decreased.

Catch in Caspian Sea waters was 28,200 tonnes, a decrease of 5,050 tonnes compared to the same period in 2017.

Russian fishermen caught 233,500 tons in foreign waters, an increase of 11,200 tons over the same period last year.

Ilya Shestakov, the head of the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency, has said that in 2018, Russia's fish catch will reach 5 million tons, an increase of 1.6% over 2017. In 2017, Russia's catch of living aquatic resources reached 4.77 million tons, the best index in the past 25 years. (Compiler: Wang Xinyu)