Pink salmon fishery in the European part of Russia: results for 2023

Abstract

Pink salmon is currently the main species for the anadromous fish fishery in the north of the European part of Russia. Upward trends were observed in this species returns and catches in odd years of the 2013–2021 in the regions of North-West Russia (Murmansk Region, Republic of Karelia, Arkhangelsk Region, and Nenets Autonomous Region) that allowed to increase the annual catch limit to 1,619 t in 2023. However, despite this optimistic forecast, the factual total landing of pink salmon in this part of Russia in 2023 was 203.26 t by all fishing gears (12.55 % of the quo- ta). Oceanographic conditions (SST) along the migration routes of pink salmon were rather favorable both in the White Sea and North Atlantic, so reasons of weak returns are vague. Unpredictability of pink salmon returns is well known for the main habitat of the species — the North-West Pacific, so this phenomenon has occurred in the European waters, too, in 2023.

Keywords

• pink salmon
• oncorhynchus gorbuscha
• white sea
• barents sea
• salmon