Prospects for Expanding Domestic Fisheries in the Russian Arctic

The purpose of the work: based on the results of expeditionary research conducted by VNIRO in 2019, to demonstrate the perspectives of expanding aquatic biological resources harvesting in the seas of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. Expanding harvesting in the seas surrounding the Russian Arctic regions would have a multiple effect: it would provide the population with vital fish protein products in high-latitude conditions and also stimulate development of related industries and sectors, such as logistics, storage, ship repair, and shipbuilding.

Materials and methods: to assess the bioresource potential of the seas washing the regions of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, a method of complex fisheries research was used within the framework of the expedition.

Novelty: options for expanding domestic fisheries in the seas of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, based on the analysis of data obtained from comprehensive expeditions, have not previously been considered. No studies or forecasts for the production of key commercial fish in the Arctic seas have been published in the scientific literature.

Practical significance: the results of scientific research conducted by VNIRO scientists during the expedition of the R/V «Professor Levanidov» in 2019 formed the basis for the scientific recommendations to start pollock fishery in the Chukchi Sea and snow crab in the Kara Sea in 2021. Conducting large-s cale and regular research in the seas of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation will provide more information on their bioresource potential, which, in turn, will provide fishing organizations with the scientific advice for increasing the volume of aquatic biological resources harvested.

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