Results of biological research on the shelf of Western Kamchatka in the summer of 2021

The purpose of the research is to assess the stock and biological condition of commercial invertebrate species and other aquatic organisms on the shelf of Western Kamchatka. The results contributing to characterize the current state of commercial populations of bottom and bottom hydrobionts living at depths of 14–303 m are presented.

Data collection methods are traditional for fisheries research, the data were obtained during the annual bottom trawl survey in June-July 2021. In the area of work, the basic objects of study were the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) and of the southern Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi).

New knowledge gained as a result of direct accounting showed the following: 1) in the Kamchatka-Kuril subzone, the stock of P. camtschaticus is in an uncertain state, close to unsatisfactory, and the number of C. bairdi has reached the highest values over the past decade; 2) in the West Kamchatka subzone, the stock of P. camtschaticus was satisfactory, with the exception of the southern part of the subzone, where low catches of this species were noted; 3) the biological condition and stock of other commercial invertebrates and fish of the bottom complex was satisfactory.

The practical significance of the presented research results is to provide annual prognostic materials on the total allowable catches of bottom commercial species of hydrobionts for the shelf areas of Western Kamchatka.

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