Methodological aspects of assessing the scale of IUU fishing in inland water bodies by the example of individual regions of Russia

Abstract

Purpose of work: comparative analysis of the available methodological approaches to the assessment of the amount of commercial fish species taken by IUU fishing and IUU bycatch in the implementation of fisheries on the example of individual regions of the Russian Federation, including inland water bodies of different fishery basins. Methods used: comparative analysis of methodological materials on assessment of IUU fishing, used in different branches of VNIRO. Novelty: for the first time an analysis of various methods for assessing the extraction of commercial fish species by IUU fishing has been conducted; the presented generalized data on the assessment of illegal catches in different fishery basins of the Russian Federation show that the amount of IUU fishing is the volume which often exceeds the values of the total allowable catches (TAC) and the recommended volumes of production (catch) of aquatic bioresources. Practical significance: Refinement of methodical approaches of estimation of IUU fishing and IUU bycatch will allow receiving a characteristic picture of size of IUU fishing for various fishery basins taking into account specifics of fishery basins, species composition of catches and applied gears of catch. The resulting data on the value of IUU-catch of commercial fish species will be used to clarify (adjust) the projected volume of production (catch) of commercial fish in Russia.