According to data released by the Pacific Cod Association of Russia (PCA), the "A season" for Pacific cod in the Sea of Okhotsk will start on January 1, 2026, and last until April 10. The association estimates that the catch volume for this season will be between 870,000 and 880,000 tons, slightly higher than the actual catch volume of 846,100 tons in 2025.
The Russian side stated that the Pacific cod fishing season next year will continue to focus on the production of "deep-processed products," a trend that is expected to further strengthen.
"The modernized fleet will be more invested in producing high-value-added products, including surimi and other refined products," said Alexey Buglak, president of the Russian Pacific Cod Association, in a statement.
In the recently concluded "A season" of 2025, the production of surimi at sea became the core force driving industry growth, with a year-on-year increase of 36%. As of April 10, the cumulative production reached 41,400 tons.
The total allowable catch (TAC) for Pacific cod in the Sea of Okhotsk in 2026 is approximately 1,000,000 tons, with the Kamchatka-Kuril sub-area accounting for 283,400 tons, the West Kamchatka sub-area for 364,400 tons, and the North Sea of Okhotsk sub-area also for 364,400 tons.
As of November 16 of this year, the cumulative catch of Pacific cod in the Sea of Okhotsk has reached approximately 882,000 tons, accounting for 88% of the total allowable catch. "We expect the utilization rate of the Sea of Okhotsk TAC to reach 93% by the end of this year," Buglak added.
However, researchers from the Russian Fisheries Research Institute also warned that the commercial Pacific cod resources are showing a slow downward trend. "We are gradually transitioning from a period of high abundance of Pacific cod resources to a relatively normal but no longer highly productive stage," said Alexey Baitalyuk, director of the Russian Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (TINRO), in a statement.
Pacific cod is Russia's most important commercial fishery resource, accounting for more than 40% of the country's total annual catch. In 2024, the catch volume of Pacific cod in Russia reached a historic high of 1,998,000 tons, with a year-on-year increase of 2%.
In 2025, the catch volume of Pacific cod in Russia remained high. According to data from the All-Russian Fisheries Association (VARPE), as of November 24, the total catch volume of Pacific cod in all fishing areas across the country had reached 2,002,000 tons, surpassing last year's record.
The total allowable catch (TAC) for Pacific cod in Russia in 2025 was 2,460,000 tons, with 1,155,000 tons allocated to the Sea of Okhotsk and 775,200 tons to the West Bering Sea.
Overall, with the improvement of offshore processing capabilities and the expansion of export markets, Russia is steadily advancing the industrialization of high-value-added Pacific cod products such as surimi, which will become an important growth support point for the future Pacific cod fishery.