Russia: Expanding the boundaries of the sprat fishery in the Caspian Sea will increase its catch by almost 1.5-2 times

The article reports on a decision to extend the sprat fishing season and expand fishing boundaries in the Caspian Sea, with expectations to boost production by 1.5-2 times, reaching between 62-93 thousand tons, compared to the previous year's catch of 31.5 thousand tons. This is possible by adding 10 more vessels to the current fleet of about 24, which operates in a limited area. The expansion aims to increase the efficiency of the sprat fishery and further develop the commercial stock of sprat in the Caspian Sea. The article also discusses the need for advanced equipment and improvements to maintain the quality and extend the duration of the fish on board the vessels.

The decision to extend the sprat fishing season and expand the boundaries of its fishing in the Caspian Sea, according to preliminary data, will contribute to an increase in its production by almost 1.5-2 times compared to last year's catch, which amounted to 31.5 thousand tons. At the same time, it will be necessary to attract an additional 10 vessels, TASS was told in the Volga-Caspian branch of VNIRO. Until 2001, Caspian sprat was caught on a commercial scale - up to 200-300 thousand tons per year. Later, its stocks sharply decreased due to environmental changes, industrial fishing practically ceased. In 2019, it was decided to return to industrial fishing of Caspian sprat, trawl fishing for sprat was organized for the first time. Last year, the catch amounted to 31.5 thousand tons, in 2019 it was 9 times less and amounted to only 3.5 thousand tons. "According to preliminary estimates, expanding the boundaries of fishing areas in the deep-water areas of the Middle and Southern ...