The state of Russian national fisheries in the Northern Fishery Basin at the beginning of the 21st century

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to review of Russian fisheries evolution and modern condition in the Northern Fishery Basin in the first decades of the 21st century to improve the Russian fishery management.The work is based on the data collected by the Polar Branch of the «VNIRO» (N. M. Knipovich «PINRO»), the data of the ICES Working Group on Arctic Fisheries, the decisions of the Joint Norwegian-R ussian Fisheries Commission sessions, the results of the Russian- Norwegian research surveys for the assessment of pelagic and demersal fish stocks and information about the Russian fishing fleet structure and fishing activities.Relevants and findings. The summarized materials on the evolution and modern status of the Russian fisheries in the Barents Sea as the main fisheries are in the north-w estern Russia at the beginning of the 21st century are presented for the first time. The dynamics of stocks and catches of demersal and pelagic fish in 2000–2020 was analyzed. In the observed period in the Barents Sea, the highest biomass of stocks and catches were characteristic of bottom fish species, while stocks and catches of pelagic fish were at an average or even low level. In general, the first decades of the 21st century were favorable for the Russian fishery in the Barents Sea. Additionally, the current state of fisheries in the White and the Kara seas, which are significantly different from the Barents Sea by environmental conditions, legal status and marine biological resources, are considered. Commercial stocks there are significantly underutilized by the Russian fishery. In the Barents Sea, while maintaining fish stocks biomasses at the current levels following by the continuing the hydrologically warm period in the Arctic, the stabilization of the Russian catch at the levels close to existing values is expected.Practical importance. The results obtained will improve the efficiency of the Russian fishing fleet operated in the Northern Fishery Basin.