Fisheries, Status Of Stocks And Management Of Atlantic Salmon In Russia In 1998

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.

From the late 80's catches of Atlantic salmon have been steadily declining in all countries of the North Atlantic and although more than 50% of countries had catches somewhat higher in 1998 than in the previous year they still remain below the 5-year (1993-1997) and 10-year (1988- 1997) means. This decline can largely be attributed to alterations of Atlantic salmon management pattern in most of the countries targeted at reduction of fishing effort (ICES 1999 Assess: 14). In Russia in 1998 fishing gears remained unchanged. As before barrier fences which block a river completely in its estuary were used for in-river fishery on the Kola peninsula, trap nets and beach seines, fixed gill and drift nets in the Archangelsk Region. Coastal fishery in the White Sea was conducted primarily with trap nets. The number of gears used in coastal fishery remained the same as in previous years. On the Kola peninsula a tendency persists of reallocating quotas between in-river commercial fisheries and recreational fishery based on catch-and-release. In 1998 only 5 barrier fences were operated commercially against 7 in the two previous years (10 in 1995).