The paper deals with the results of the data analysis of red king crabs trap catches and bottom temperature in summer 2008-2018 in the coastal part of the southern Barents Sea and adjacent waters of the White Sea. Such factors as a 5-day period of survey, depth of catch, seabed type, bottom temperature and interannual changes as mixed factor were assessed. Inverse relation between caches of berried females with bottom temperature and depth of catch was detected. Crabs of other functional categories have not got strong relations with these factors. The highest influences type for crab catches was detected. It was complex of factors which drive interannual variability in quantity of crabs aggregation. Catches of berried females of red king crab has depended on bottom temperature and depths. It is recommended to carry out the trap survey on the southern part of the Barents Sea within 30 days. Deviations in survey on research stations should not be more than 10 days.

The fishing intensity (F) of Barents Sea cod (Gadus morhua morhua) significantly decreased in the period 2008-2018 (with an annual average F = 0.25) compared with the previous period 2000-2007, when it was 0.67, resulted in an accumulation of older fish (8+) in the population. The share of «8+» cod increased from 8.4 to 30.4%. With the simultaneous fall in stocks of capelin, polar cod, and young herring, which early were the main food supply of cod, she shifted massively to feeding its young. In parallel with the observed high level of spawning stock, the cannibalism of cod has necessarily increased, which was one of the main reasons for the decrease in the number of fish recruits, i. e. later and the entire commercial stock. In the current situation, the expansion of domestic longline fishing is particularly important. With proper selection of the size of the hooks and type of bait, it could purposefully remove large cod, weakening cannibalism. Calculations have shown that the supply fish base of such targeted fishing is 100-300 thousand tons per year.

The Baltic sprat Sprattus sprattus balticus is an important fishing species and takes the second place in abundance of the commercial catches after the Baltic herring in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Before investigations of the sprat were rarely carried out in Leningradskaya region. Sprat is fished with the pelagic trawls as by-catch of the Baltic herring’s fishing clusters. The supply of the sprat forms in the western part of the Finnish Gulf and the Baltic Sea. This species goes to the eastern part of the gulf due to the forage migration. Materials for the research were the data obtained from the trawl fishery during the periods from January to May and from October to December 2017-2019 in Russian economic zone of the eastern part of the gulf close to the islands Bolshoy and Malyy Tyuters, Moshchnyy and Gogland. The analysis of the sprat distribution in 2019 was carried out based on the generalization of the results of trawl fishing. The review of the season fishing features in considered region is given. The amount of the catch of the species varied in the different fishing areas, changing significantly by months. The biggest catches reached 15-25 tons during 5 to 8 trawling hours were observed in November as well as in the former years. Largest number of the sprat was fished in the western border areas of the gulf which are adjacent to the Estonia and Finland waters.

The article discusses the features of the size and age structure of the population and growth of the Oka river sterlet. A comparison of samples of sterlet from catches of smooth and set nets from different sections of the river by size, weight and age composition in the pre-spawning and feeding periods is given. The reasons for the change in the growth rate of sterlet in modern conditions, compared with the sixties of the twentieth century, are analyzed. The higher growth rate of sterlet is currently due to the predominance of fish catches of “factory” origin and a significant difference in the average mass of “factory” juveniles and from natural spawning at the beginning of the feeding period. A comparison of the growth of the Oka sterlet between males and females in length and weight of fish is made. The intraspecific dynamics of fish growth variability from younger age groups to older ones is shown. The differentiation of the Oka sterlet into ecological forms that differ in their growth rate is established. Comparative analysis of linear growth of sterlet from rivers and reservoirs of the Volga-Caspian and Azov-black sea basins showed significant differences between fish from natural spawning and “factory” origin.

The feeding of pollock from commercial catches was studied. A relationship was established between average of stomach fullness indices (SFI) and the content of euphausiids in the stomachs of pollock 21-40 cm long in 1998 and 21-50 cm in 2017. Copepods determined the SFI of pollock up to 40 cm long only in 1996. In the late 1990s, the feeding of pollock longer than 40 cm was closely related to the intensity of fish consumption, this relationship increased with increasing size. In 2017, the proportion of non-fed fish was 2-5 times lower than in 1996 and slightly lower than in 1998. SFI of fish 20-60 cm long in 1996 were significantly lower in compared with 1998 and for pollock with a length of 20-30 and 41-50 cm compared to 2017. In the feeding of pollock in 1998 and 2017, no significant differences were found. Equations are derived for the forward and backward recalculation of the SFI, calculated by the standard method and the express method “TINRO”.

The article provides a detailed review of the marking methods of juvenile fish and discusses the mechanisms of the microstructure pike otoliths’ formation. The feasibility of thermal otolith marking of larvae and early juvenile fish with a short period of embryonic development is shown on the example of the common pike. The objectives of the study were to determine the most suitable age of pike juveniles for marking, and the optimal duration of temperature exposure. Three marking protocols were tested, in which the water temperature gradient was 7-12 °C, and the exposure time was 5, 6 and 10 hours, respectively. The pike larvae were marked at the age of 4 days and 11 days (after the start of the exogenous feeding) at least four times. The results of marking were evaluated on the first day and on the 10^th day after marking, as well as at later stages of development (in the age of 21-44 days). Most visible marks were noted in short heating cycles (5-6 hours) in larvae before the start of the exogenous feeding.

During steps of technology adjustment of cultivation whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei juvenile to commercial size in recirculating aquaculture system influence of feed composition and containers color on shrimp coloring was studied. Three experiments were carried out in which we used three types of feeds (compound feed for shrimps Gemma Diamond (France); compound feeds for bottom fish and crustaceans Tetra Min Granules and Tetra Wafer Mix (Germany); containers in blue and black, as well as with a black bottom and blue walls. Tetra’s feeds contain astaxanthin-rich brine shrimp artemia. At the end of the experiment all shrimps were photographed. The color indexes of shrimps were estimated in the CIELab color space in Adobe Photoshop program. The experiments have shown that the use of black containers and feeds with a high content of astaxanthin in the whiteleg shrimp P. vannamei cultivation permits one to get the darkest coloring of individuals. The color tone and, in part, the intensity of the shrimp coloring depended on the amount of astaxanthin in the feed. The brightness characteristics of the coloring largely depended on the color of the bottom and walls of the containers. In black containers, the shrimp had a darker color than in blue containers or containers with black bottom and blue walls.

The results of content estimation of 8-e most common toxic heavy metals in the water column of the North-Eastern Black Sea in 2000-2019 are presented. Annual ranges for the content of individual heavy metals in the water column are given. Identified values have been compared with the pollution levels for the water bodies of fisheries importance as they are defined in the relevant normative and regulatory framework. Cases of exceedance of maximum permissible concentrations of copper, mercury, zinc, manganese, and iron have been recorded at all sampling depths in various seasons and years. The link to the coastline was carried out, the most problematic areas in terms of anthropogenic load were identified. A brief description of each of the metals under consideration is given. The quantitative characteristic of the increased concentrations of certain heavy metals is presented in terms of the MPC multiplicity. Seasonal dynamics of the content of particular metals in sea water during the entire course of the investigation (2000-2019) is shown. Trends and patterns in variations of their concentrations at the present time are assessed. Possible influence of increased content of the aforementioned elements on comfort the habitat of aquatic living organisms is considered.

The issues of state regulation and clustering policy in the Russian fisheries complex are considered, organizational shortcomings, obstacles to the full use of the biological potential of fisheries, difficulties in financing the business of cluster participants are revealed, and the need for an adaptation period for the formation of intra-cluster relations is justified. The need for leveraged sources of financing requires the development of financial models with affordable loans under the current investment lending mechanism. A special credit product will provide a transparent system of relations between state structures, participants of the fishing cluster and credit institutions. The proposed scheme of lending to clusters with real estate collateral and collateral for manufactured products is aimed at stable relations with credit institutions. This will lead to the formation of a collective share capital and the creation of management structures responsible for operational management and interaction with investors and financial institutions. The Azov-Black Sea basin of the Crimean Peninsula has the potential to restore biological resources, develop aquaculture, and produce feed for aquaculture. Clusters for targeted programs of artificial breeding in the marine area of rainbow trout, so-iuy mullet, oysters, mussels and other valuable biological resources successfully implement the projects «Valuable seafood», «Food pelagic». The renewal of the fishing fleet will increase the volume of fish production by 2.5-3 times and expand the raw material base of processing enterprises. The development of various forms and channels of sales of fish products with high added value will increase the profitability of the business and meet consumer demand in the domestic market.

This paper aims to find the reasons for the economic growth in the Russian fisheries sector in recent years. We are also assessing the impact of this growth from the perspective of the industry and society as a whole. To do this, we propose and test the hypothesis that the economic well-being of fisheries was largely determined by the redistribution of fishing rent in favor of companies. The authors focus on the value added indicator and its main component - surplus profit, which is the result of monetization of fishing rent. The results of the analysis show that the existing model of fisheries functioning, despite its current financial viability, is not sustainable either from an economic, environmental, or social point of view. The authors conclude that it is necessary to develop a new paradigm for the development of the fishing industry, in which the surplus income received from the use of fish resources will serve the interests of the entire society.

Based on the data of Internet statistics, was made a preliminary estimate of the number of stores and the volume of retail trade in unorganized recreational fishing products in the Central Federal District. The dynamics of the number of stores in this segment in 2013-2019 showed a heterogeneous trend in cities with different populations, which probably reflects the different economic landscape for the development of this fishing in the subjects of the Central Federal District. The correlation of the dynamics of the number of fishing goods stores with demographic indicators, indicators of the capacity of the natural environment is revealed. The gross revenue of the sector of trade in fishing goods in the Central Federal District by 2019, obtained on the basis of traffic measurement and surveys, probably reached 5.0 billion rubles, characterizing the significant expenditures of the population on this type of leisure. It is proposed to take into account the indicators of trade in goods as an analytical tool for the state of unorganized fishing, and the gross revenue less prof-it-as a component of “costs” for the economic assessment of aquatic biological resources (ABR) of inland reservoirs. The possible place and role of economic data in the management system of unorganized recreational fishing is considered.

An increase in the Russian catch of aquatic biological resources may be provided by the underutilized resources of the World Ocean, which include such fish species as, horse mackerel, round sardinella and giant grenadier. Studies were carried out to study the size-mass composition of horse mackerel, round sardinella and giant grenadier, which showed that fillet yield when cutting giant grenadier was 61.2%, large horse mackerel 63,3%, shallow horse mackerel 47,9%, and round sardinella 54.8%. Based on the data on the fractional composition of proteins and the structural and mechanical properties of muscle tissue, the expediency of manufacturing various molded products and minced products such as sausages and sausages from horse horse mackerel and round sardinella, and dietary pasty food products from giant grenadier was established. Rational parameters of muscle tissue grinding of horse mackerel, round sardinella (2 min at 3000 rpm) and giant grenadier (6 min at 3000 rpm) have been scientifically substantiated. It has been established that the creation of stable protein-fat emulsions based on minced giant grenadier, horse mackerel and round sardinella is possible when the ratio of protein, fat and water is 1: 2.1 v 3.5: 9 for giant grenadier; 1: 0.3: <13.2 for horse mackerel and round sardinella.

The actual values of the raw material consumption coefficients are formed taking into account the factors simultaneously acting at the moment of time, one group of factors is determined by the biological criteria of the species, their changes in the annual cycle, the other is associated with the processing technology used. Updating the rates of output of pollock processing products is due to the change in fish processing equipment, which allows increasing the output of products, therefore, at time j for each region and season, there is a change in the group of criteria associated with the processing technology. In the first message, the analysis of pollock catch rates in the Sea of Okhotsk was carried out, and their statistical assessment was given. It has been established that the use of new generation equipment makes it possible to increase the yield of headless pollock by 3.8%, boneless fillets by 1.8%. Considering the volume of pollock products, the development of scientifically grounded coefficients of raw material consumption for verification of actual catches is one of the key conditions for the rational use of the raw material base.

The description of the software package created for the study and assessment of aquatic biological resources is presented. This software package is provided visualization of acoustic images (echograms) with different scaling of the sensed space and the selection of areas (layers). The software package are used hydroacoustic, biological, navigation and other data that located in the integrated database. These data are displayed as separate windows (modules) and enter into the composition of the program interface. The software package allows you to load and display simultaneously several echogram files with lag marks and integration results, layers (including the trawling layer), strata boundaries, species composition within the selected layer and stratum, histograms by single target strength in the selected layer, histograms for length, recalculated from the target strength for several species of fish and other data. This software package allows you to concentrate on the desktop all the information necessary for high-quality analysis and multispecies processing of echograms in real time. The software package calculates and stores in a tabular form the values of fish density, abundance and biomass and their distribution with a given step by statistical squares, by species, size series, by depth, etc. The software package is used in the practice of echointegration traw-acoustic surveys of TINRO at this time. Upgrade software is planned in the near future.

In the autumn of 2020, the crab fishery was monitored in the Sea of Okhotsk. The red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), depth range 79-277 m, was studied in the Kamchatka-Kuril subzone. A the blue king crab (P. platypus) with a depth range of 163-177 m was studied in the West Kamchatka subzone. There were 4 types of crabs in the by-catch. Sampler-cone traps. The biological analysis consisted of a random sample of crabs taken from several traps. In crabs, physiological and biochemical parameters were studied, reflecting their relationship with the linocyclic cycles of crabs. In the Kamchatka-Kuril subzone, the stock of P. camtschaticus is in poor condition, and the population of the southern Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi), on the contrary, it is intensively restored. In the West Kamchatka subzone, the condition of the blue king crab stock is satisfactory, and the snow crab (C. opilio) mainly consists of individuals who have long completed terminal molting, and they will be eliminated in the next two years.

In October-November 2020, on the shelf of Onekotan Island (northern Kuril Islands), hydrobiological studies of Chlamy scallops were carried out in the course of their fishery. A specialized scallop vessel collected data on the fishing area, species and size composition of catches, and the spatial distribution of scallop populations. The area of the shelf of Onekotan Island with the places of traditional fishing grounds was examined, the work was carried out within a 12-mile zone according to the industrial quota. Data were collected on the composition of catches, size composition and biological state of three types of scallops: light scallop, wide-ribbed scallop, and Bering Sea scallop. The places of commercial concentrations are determined, the mosaic distribution is shown.