Environmental variability in Subarctic and in the Bering Sea affects on recruitment, abundance, behavior and seasonal spatial distribution of pollock and plankton community which challenge on fishery management strategy. Understanding of environmental driven changes in pollock population can be used to improve predictions of assessed population and will positively affect on recreational fishing, commercial harvest and fishery-dependent coastal communities. Especially this knowledge explores the impacts of environmental projections to applied fishery problems in the northwestern Bering Sea, Russian waters, where eastern Bering Sea pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) migrates just in summer and autumn periods, for development of environmental-enhanced strategy of fishery management. The great annual differences of pollock seasonal migration and spatial distribution are related with variability of it population abundance, temperature condition and zooplankton species composition, abundance and distribution in the Bering Sea. 

South Pacific jack mackerel is the main fishery object in the South Pacific. Jack mackerel maximum total catch reached almost 5 million tons. Status of jack mackerel stock was scrutinized in 1978–1991 during intensive fisheries by USSR fleet. Fisheries fleet advices were developed according studies results. Advices did not permit destabilized status of jack mackerel stock. Chilean fisherman caught 4.4 million tons of jack mackerel in 1995. It declined jack mackerel biomass sharply. Established in 2012 Convention on the Conservation and management of high seas fishery resources in the South Pacific Ocean placed a limitation on jack mackerel fishery according the stocks status. These measures are changed every year. Conservation measures caused stock restoration in the South East Pacific which be observed in recent years. Target fisheries of chub mackerel and southern rays bream don’t occur. These species are bycatch in target jack mackerel fishery. Status of their stocks gives no reason for concern. 

Barents Sea fish fauna has been studied a long time. The list of the Barents Sea fish and jawless fish includes 222 marine species and subspecies from 70 families of 27 orders of 5 classes for 2012. Since 2004, Russia and Norway have begun joint ecosystem surveys in the Barents Sea. Therefore, the data on distribution and abundance of commercial and non-commercial fish species in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters are collected annually. Cooperation between Russia and Norway has significantly increased the quantity and quality of information of fish diversity. The result of this cooperation was the Atlas of the Barents Sea Fishes, which showed distribution of all fish species found during the Barents Sea ecosystem survey. Assessment of abundance and biomass of commercial and non-commercial fish species was carried out, in addition to distribution of all fish species. Frequency of research allows to obtain inter-annual changes in the composition and structure of ichthyofauna in the Barents Sea, the important area for the Russian fishery. This information can be useful for a more detailed understanding Barents Sea ecosystem processes. 

Quantitative characteristics of commercial demersal fish in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters of the Norwegian and Greenland Seas are shown. The definition of demersal fish used in the Russian scientific literature is given. The ratio of yield of all species in international and Russian catch of demersal fish resided this part of the world’s oceans, i. e. the representatives of the cod family (Gadidae), flatfishes (Pleuronectidae), wolffishes (Anarhichadidae) and redfishes (Sebastes) are demonstrated. The main fishing areas of flatfish in the Barents Sea are shown. The harvest control system of Gadoids is shown and proportion of their total biomass allowed for removal by fishery is determined. On the basis of the ICES Arctic Fisheries Working Group results obtained in 2018 the status of the stocks of cod, haddock, saithe at the beginning of 2009–2018 is assessed. In order to analyze the current state of Gadidae stocks current values of the spawning biomass are compared with pre-defined biological reference points. The annual catches of these species in the 2009–2018 are shown. The dynamics of catches, total and spawning stocks of redfishes in 2008–2017 are given in comparison with their long-term mean values. Trends in the dynamics of stocks are identified for all stocks considered. Based on 2018 AFWG report the stock characteristics of the Greenland halibut and its annual catches in 2009–2018 are shown. For other species of demersal fish (plaice, long rough dab and wolffishes) which stocks are assessed by scientific surveys, and biological reference points are not specified, the current stock values are presented in comparison with the average annual indices. A general conclusion on the status of stocks of commercial demersal fish in the Barents Sea is drawn. 

Atlantic salmon tagging experiments in the 20th century as well as recent genetic studies have shown that catches of salmon Salmo salar from coastal waters in Northern Norway contained fish originating from rivers in other countries. According to results of the “Kolarctic-salmon” project (2011–2013) salmon of Russian origin constituted 16% to 18% of catches in coastal fisheries of salmon in Finnmark County with the largest proportion of fish from Russian rivers, to 65%, recorded in catches from Varangerfjord. Fisheries on salmon migration routes intercepting fish from two or more river stocks are defined by NASCO as mixed-stock fisheries and are regarded as threatening the Atlantic salmon stocks sustainability due to complexities of their management involved. The paper reviews the management system and process of regulation of Atlantic salmon fisheries in Norway, regimes and management measures applied in coastal salmon fisheries in the counties of Troms and Finnmark. The history of Russian-Norwegian consultations concerning fisheries in Norwegian waters intercepting salmon of Russian origin is presented. Possible approaches aiming at protection of Atlantic salmon from Russian rivers migrating for spawning through territorial waters of Norway are proposed. 

Stocks of commercial fish species are cross-border in the Baltic Sea. Within the framework of the international fishery regulation in the Baltic Sea, scientific cooperation is carried out between the Baltic countries of the European Union and the Russian Federation in the largest and authoritative international scientific organization dealing with the problems of the integrated study and exploitation of biological resources of the seas and oceans, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). During the period from 1992 to the present AtlantNIRO it was organized and carried out a significant amount of complex research projects in the Baltic Sea. In total, including ICES international programs, more than 70 hydroacoustic, bottom and environmental surveys were made, the materials of which were widely used to assess the status of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea on the working groups of ICES. AtlantNIRO participation in ICES allows not only to gain access to international materials, combined into an accessible database, but also to represent and defend the domestic view on scientific methods and approaches to fish stock assessment, which are extremely important in determining catch and developing measures for the organization of the Russian fisheries in the Baltic Sea. 

The recruitment surveys carried out in the Eastern-Central Atlantic since 2003 provide statistically reliable abundance indices of the 0- and 1-old age groups of chub mackerel. The significance of the first ones for the stock control is dwindled by two circumstances. When the strongest generations appear, 0-group becomes an object of purse seining, for the first months of life, the physiological conditions worsen, and pattern of ontogenetic movements alters. In such cases, the 0-group survey indices obtained in the end of year do not correlate well with the indices of 1-group obtained one year later. Those correlations are observed at moderate level of recruitment only. The combination of indicators of the upwelling intensity and the seasonal dislocation of the Senegalese-Mauritanian hydrological front seems to be as an acceptable basis to predict abundance of one-year-old fishes. This abundance is the higher the more logically hydrological situation develops, that is, when the dynamics of latitudinal movements of the front is consistent with the upwelling intensity. 

Water biological resources research in the Atlantic Ocean requires corresponding informational software. It is based on data bases usage that contain the results of many years exploring and software that automates their collecting, handling, analyses and storage. Data bases include fishery and biological, hydrological and hydro-biological information about water biological resources and their natural environment. For this data handling, analyses and visualization the information and reference systems (IRS), geographic information systems (GIS) are created and applied. The efficiency growth of water biological resources researches is possible thanks to the automated decision support system creation that integrates knowledge bases, IRS, GIS and uses data mining methods. The efficiency growth of water biological resources researches is possible thanks to the automated decision support system creation that integrates knowledge bases, IRS, GIS and uses data mining methods. Nowadays several methods of data mining are used in the automated decision support system that is being developed in AtlantNIRO, among them there are the following effective ones: decision trees building and association rules finding. 

One of the most highly productive areas of the Bering Sea is the Anadyr-Navarin shelf. Since the early 2000s, the abundance of walleye pollock migrating from the American zone to Russian waters has been observed to increase. A characteristic feature of the spatial distribution of this species in the current period (2013–2015) is the shorter time spent by this group in the Anadyr-Navarin area. The timing of onset of migrations and their duration depend on many factors, including the food availability for the species. Based on the data of plankton surveys and trophological studies (2010–2015), the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of zooplankton were analyzed; the production of trophic groups was calculated; and the feeding habits of walleye pollock were clarified. Pronounced variations in the quantitative parameters of zooplankton were recorded in autumn: the mean zooplankton biomass ranged from 780 to 1658 mg/m3. The production of non-predatory zooplankton (mainly euphausiids and copepods) amounted to 14.8–53.1 million t. The production of predatory zooplankton (mainly chaetognaths) was estimated at 5–14.2 million t of organic matter per season. In 2013–2015, the diet composition of walleye pollock was almost similar to the annual mean values. This fish actively preyed on euphausiids (49–88% of the size of food bolus), copepods (10–27%), and appendicularians (10%). All these groups belong to the non-predatory zooplankton, characterized by high production rates. At the same time, the stomach fullness indices obtained for walleye pollock in the Anadyr-Navarin area were noticeably higher (70–145.50/000) than those in more easterly waters, particularly in the American zone (57–72.50/000), to which the “reverse” migrations have begun. A comparison of all these values allows a conclusion that the food availability for walleye pollock in the study area is quite high. 

The results of the analysis of combined vertical transects with temperature and the acoustic nautical area scattering coefficients (acoustic values) distribution for herring and blue whiting are presented in the paper. The data were obtained on transects during summer pelagic surveys 2011–2017. The accumulated experience has made it possible to compare the spatial and vertical distribution of pelagic fish under different oceanographic conditions. Some climatic features of concentrations of fish of different age groups are revealed. It is shown that blue whiting is concentrated in the eastern part of the Norwegian Sea mainly over the continental shelf slope and in the high temperature gradient area in the layer 200–300 m within the warm side of the thermal frontal zone. In the summer feeding period, the largest schools of Atlanto-Scandian herring are observed in the western part of the sea in a wide range of depth and temperature. There is a shift of frontal zones eastward or westward, which significantly affects the distribution of blue whiting. For herring, in contrast to blue whiting, the shifting of the frontal zones is less important than large-scale processes forming migration routes which depend from environmental conditions, age access and availability of feed. 

The degradation of the sturgeon stocks and fisheries in the Caspian basin, which was distinctly manifested since the mid‑1980s, caused concern among the Caspian countries and international environmental, trade, and scientific organizations. The most effective mechanism for conservation of sturgeon populations is the suspension of the Caspian countries to catch sturgeon, carry out artificial reproduction and release of sturgeon fry from fish farms. In 1992, a five-sided Commission on aquatic living resources of the Caspian Sea was created, under which the Parties agree on national quotas for fishing and export of products from sturgeon. Since 1998, trade in sturgeon specimens has been regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (known as CITES). The activities of other international organizations that advocate sturgeon conservation are limited to recommendations and declarations, which in some cases prompted CITES to step in not only in the matters of international trade, but also in developing measures for sturgeon conservation, assessment and management of their stocks, which goes beyond the scope of the Convention. 

The Caspian region has an important socio-economic significance for the Russian Federation and other Caspian states. The importance of the Caspian region for the socio-economic development of the Caspian states is noted in the article, the history of international legal regulation of relations on the Caspian Sea is reviewed, its current international legal regime is analyzed. The positions of the Caspian states regarding some features of the legal regime of the Caspian Sea are considered.The provisions of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea (2018), the Agreement on the Conservation and Rational Use of Aquatic Biological Resources of the Caspian Sea (2014), the Framework Convention for the Protection `of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (2003) are analyzed in detail. The ways of improving the legal regime of the Caspian Sea are determined and appropriate recommendations are developed. A comparative legal analysis of these treaties with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 and other international legal acts was carried out. Special attention is paid to the legal regulation of fisheries and the conservation of aquatic biological resources of the Caspian Sea. 

This paper discusses the concept of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) developed by Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), in particular for protection of marine environment and resources in the areas beyond national jurisdictions. VME is a regulatory notion. From the ecological standpoint, it includes in most cases only part of integral marine ecosystem, i. e. bottom biotopes and communities forming by habitat-making organisms (aedificators), such as deep-water corals, sponges, mollusks and some other taxa building biogenic structures. Usage of the term VME and other notions, similar in meaning but not completely overlapping (such as Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas, Vulnerable Habitats or Biotopes, Essential Fish Habitats, Habitat Areas of Particular Concern) are determined by traditions and task of the international and national institutions that have introduced them. The term VME is recommended to use generally with regards to meeting the FAO criteria. For marine biotopes and communities with significant contribution of biogenic structures, meeting at least some of five FAO criteria and regardless of jurisdiction, the term Vulnerable Biotopes is recommended. The approaches to identification of VME and vulnerable biotopes in the international fisheries areas, and in the EEZs of Norway and USA (Bering Sea) are reviewed. Using the VME concept in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Standard for sustainable fisheries is discussed. Vulnerable bottom biotopes are considered in the context of the assessment of the fisheries impact in the Barents and other Russian seas. There is a need of gradual introduction of the concept of vulnerable benthic biotopes into Russian fisheries and marine management on the basis of development of integrated management plans for marine areas. 

The article briefly describes the history of the international organizations regulating fisheries for the main commercial species in the Northwest Atlantic. The founding circumstances of ICNAF convention, its fishery objects and subsequent reorganization into NAFO convention are described. The research which had been performed the USSR and the Russian Federation since the start of fisheries in that region to present time is also reviewed in chronological order. The observer program, including the Russian specialists’ attendance, is denoted. Description of the PINRO institute work in the Northwest Atlantic, in particular, the annual monitoring of the capelin stock, the assessment for 3M bottom redfish stock and the research in support of the unified status of the Irminger Sea pelagic redfish stock, which allows fishery in that area, is also presented. The specifics of utilizing the available information and further potential ways to collect it are considered. 

The history of cooperation between Russia and the European Union on the management of stock and development of scientific basis on exploitation of Rockall haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus is described. The necessity to develop the management measures for haddock fishery, which will be agreed between the Russian Federation and the EU, discussed in the NEAFC and on the Negotiations between the delegations of RF and EU. In 2003 the NEAFC made a decision about preparation of the Russian Federation and the EU such measures, as parties, which lead of the main haddock fishery. Regulation measures, considered during preparation of the management plan for the stock of Rockall haddock are analyzed. Strategies to change the fishery mortality, depending on the number of recruitment and habitats are presented. Russian scientists focused on the need to take into account the peculiarities of biology haddock Rockall Bank in developing these measures. The management plan for the Rockall haddock was jointly developed. In the process of preparing the management plan was found the presence of periods of high and low recruitment and differences for those periods in the level of exploitation appropriate to the precaution approach. The strategy to change the level of exploitation, depending on the number of recruitment, which takes account of changes in the conditions of habitat, was substantiated. Based on this strategy the ICES for haddock Rockall Bank has identified the values of MSY biological criteria separately for years with high and low recruitment. 

The description of the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS) is given, and its history and development are shown as well. The Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) Bibliographic Database is the principal information product of the ASFIS system. It contains more than 2 mln bibliographic references and full texts of the documents dealing with the science, technology and management of marine and freshwater environments. The uniqueness of ASFA as the information resource is that the world-wide scientific community has the opportunity to view free scientific information online. ASFIS/ASFA system covers 50 counties with the input centers on the base of numerous institutions and universities providing the monitoring of their national scientific literature. The activities of VNIRO as the National ASFA Partner and the role of its Collaborating Centers in the scientific information exchange are shown. Currently the informatization of the Russian fisheries industry is successfully continuing, free access to the world scientific information via the Internet is open for VNIRO and regional institutions.