Russia: Decline in sprat catch intensity in the Caspian Sea in autumn

According to the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Russian fishing vessels began fishing for sprats from the beginning of the year, with 19.1 thousand tons caught in the winter-spring period. The catches consisted exclusively of common sprats, and the share of bycatch, such as gobies, herring and roach, was less than 0.9%. This indicates the presence of sprat accumulations in certain areas, which is a positive moment for fishermen. Average monthly catches ranged from 13.3 to 30.1 tons, averaging 22.2 tons. During the autumn fishing season, which started on September 15 according to fishing rules, vessels began to go fishing only in the third ten-day month of October. At the moment, the fishing activity remains extremely low: from one to seven vessels are involved in sprat fishing, and daily catches range from 2.8 to 43 tons, averaging 9.6 tons. In less than 2.5 months of autumn fishing, the fleet worked only 12 days. The main reason for the low catch ...