The Russian Far East fleet’s catch of ivashi has reached 166,000 tonnes, 82% up on the figure for the same period in 2023.
The main fishing area inside Russian EEZ, where 154,000 tonnes of current total for this year have been caught. The fleet is able to fish for iwashi and other pelagic species such as mackerel and saury almost year-round, including working in the international areas of the northwestern Pacific (NWPO) and in Japanese waters.
Large concentrations and the size of fish this year have made it possible to route a large portion of the catch not only for reduction to fishmeal and fish oil, but also for human consumption production for the domestic market.
The projected 2024 catch of ivashi is 579,000, although this is subject to revision. Several decades ago iwashi sardine practically disappeared, migrating out of Russian waters, before making an unexpected return a few years ago.
The 2023 ivashi sardine catch came to 544,000 tonnes, a record figure for the post-Soviet era.
