November 14, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Russia may face a shortage of salmon during the next several years, due to climate change and overproduction seen in recent years, according to recent statements from leading local analysts in the field of fishing and state officials.
The biggest decline of salmon catch is expected in the Sakhalin Islands, which is a main harvest area for salmon in Russia.
The news was confirmed by recent predictions of the Sakhalin branch of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography. They say the overall stock of pink salmon in the Sakhalin water zone will be insignificant during the 2020 fishing season.
In this regard, the total salmon catch at Sakhalin until the end of the current year will not exceed 7,000 tonnes. This is significantly lower than the annual catch levels for the 2000s, which varied between 140,000 and 160,000 tonnes.
Scientists believe global warming, which leads to the increase of the number of typhoons in the world’s oceans could be considered a major reason for the decline in the number of pink salmon in Russian territorial waters. Another reason is warming waters, which leads to the decline of the stock of northern plankton.
In addition to Sakhalin, the decline of the salmon stock is currently being observed in the Kuril Islands.
The Russian government is aware of the problem and considering approaches for a solution. One of them is to introduce catch restrictions on salmon in both Sakhalin and Kuril Islands. This, according to state plans, should create conditions for the recovery of its stock in these areas.
This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.