About the underwater world of the Barents Sea. Fishes of the Barents Sea Barents Sea fish species

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Barents Sea

The water area of ​​the Barents Sea is 1400 thousand km2, the volume of water is 332 thousand km3. Its maximum depth is 600 m, the average depth is about 200 m. For the most part, the Barents Sea is located on a plateau with depths of less than 200 m, and depths of more than 500 m are only in a trench protruding from the west. In the eastern shallow water there are several bottom uplifts - “cans”. From the west, waters of the warm Atlantic current penetrate into the sea with a water temperature of 4-12 ° C, salinity of 34.8-35.2 ppm, so the southwestern part of the sea does not freeze in winter. The waters of the western part of the sea are warmed to the bottom, however, in the middle and eastern parts of the sea, 7/8 of the water column is with negative temperatures. In one day, about 150 km3 of warm Atlantic water penetrates into the Barents Sea between Cape North Cape and Bear Island, of which 2/3 then turn first to the north and then back to the west. Only an insignificant part of them enters the Kara Sea through the Kara Gates.

The surface temperature of the water in the Barents Sea in winter (February) is 3-5°, in summer it rises. At the junction of warm and cold water masses, powerful vertical circulation occurs and the so-called “polar fronts” are formed, where, as a result of good aeration of the deep layers and the removal of biogenic elements to the surface, an increased development of plankton and benthos occurs, and nekton hydrobionts accumulate - objects of fishing. In the Barents Sea, the species composition of fish (ichthyofauna) includes 150 species from 41 families. Three ecological groups of species can be distinguished here: 1) boreal (temperate warm water), 2) moderate cold water, and 3) arctic.

There are about 17 commercial fish species, most of them are boreal, for example, Atlantic herring, salmon, cod, haddock, saithe, sea bass, halibut. It is these species that account for up to 80% of the total fish catch in the Barents Sea. They breed, as a rule, off the coast of Norway, and their juveniles feed directly in the Barents Sea. Arctic fish (polar shark, small-vertebral herring, navaga, black halibut, polar flounder, smelt) are distributed mainly in the eastern, colder part of the Barents Sea and in the White Sea. Their commercial value is relatively small.

Moderately cold-water fish, such as capelin, stingrays, catfish, etc., have slightly more weight than Arctic fish in local fisheries. However, only six species play the main role in the fishery, which account for 95% of the total catch in the reservoir: cod, haddock, polar cod, sea ​​bass, herring and capelin.

The average fish productivity in the Barents Sea is about 4.5 kg/ha (about four times higher than in the White Sea). At the end of the 70s of this century, the catches in the Barents Sea were maximum and reached almost 0.9 million tons, but later they were significantly reduced as a result of excessive “pressure” of fishing and low yields of generations of such fish as capelin, herring, cod, haddock, sea bass, etc. The ratio of species in catches also changed: for example, if before 1976 the basis of the catch of the USSR was cod and sea bass valuable in nutrition, then after 1977 capelin became the basis of catches (70-90% of catches ). Later, capelin stocks also dropped sharply, which caused an indirect “hit” to cod, since capelin is the main food for cod. In addition, during capelin fishing with small-mesh fishing gear, juveniles of other valuable fish species were caught in large numbers. As a result of all this, the Barents Sea has lost its former great economic importance for us, but after the restoration of stocks of valuable species, this value, presumably, will be restored.

About the Barents Sea.
This marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean washes the Russian and Norwegian coasts. Its water area is spread within the continental shallows, between the northern coast of Europe and three archipelagos - Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.
The area of ​​the sea exceeds 1400 thousand sq. km, the average depth is about 200 m, the maximum is 600 meters. The large rivers feeding the sea are Pechora and Indiga.

The largest island is Kolguev.
In the west it borders on the Norwegian Sea, in the south - on the White Sea, in the east - on the Kara Sea, in the north - on the Arctic Ocean Basin.
BARENTS SEA - marginal sea North. Arctic ca. between the northern coast of Europe and Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Nov. Earth. 1424 thousand km². Located on the shelf; the depth is mainly from 360 to 400 m (the largest is 600 m). Large. Kolguev. ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
BARENTS SEA - BARENTS SEA, marginal sea of ​​the Arctic approx. between the sowing coast of Europe and the islands of Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. 1424 tons km2. Located on the shelf: deep. preim. from 360 to 400 m (max. 600 m). Large island Kolguev. ... ... Russian history
BARENTS SEA - the Arctic Ocean, between the northern coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula and the islands of Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. The area is 1424 thousand km2, the depth is up to 600 m. The large island of Kolguev. The Pechora River flows in ... Modern Encyclopedia
Sigo family. One of the hard to define groups. It is believed that 6 species inhabit Northern Europe, which are divided into more than 50 subspecies and forms. Whitefish are related to another family - salmon fish. Common to both families is the presence of an adipose fin in both. But there are also differences: whitefish have larger scales, a smaller mouth. absence of teeth on the jaws and a deep notch on the caudal fin. The color of whitefish is silver-gray. They are widely distributed in both rivers and lakes.
In the Murmansk region, whitefish is the most important commercial fish. Forms a large number of groups - each large lake has more than one herd, which differ in appearance, lifestyle, behavior. Some herds migrate. Whitefish feed on various small crustaceans. Spawning usually occurs in autumn, but timing may vary between groups. Caviar is deposited on pebbly shallows. Its further development before hatching takes 2
The same family includes vendace, peled.
Salmon family. Members of this family are quite large. The body (except for the head) is completely covered with scales. All have an adipose fin that sits between the dorsal and caudal fins. The origin of this family is associated only with the northern hemisphere; they got into more southern water bodies due to acclimatization. Many species make forage migrations to the sea and thrive in cold waters. Because of the ability to live both in sea (salty) and fresh water and migration from rivers to lakes and seas, these fish are called anadromous. The most important type of anadromous - salmon.
Atlantic (noble) salmon. In the North of Russia, Atlantic salmon is called salmon. This is a large fish, reaching a length of 1.5 m. Individual specimens can weigh up to 30-40 kg. The salmon body is elongated, moderately laterally compressed, with a relatively thin caudal peduncle. Caudal fin in adult fish with a shallow notch. The coloration of Atlantic salmon changes at different stages of the life cycle. Juveniles have from 8 to 11 wide dark transverse stripes on the sides, between which small red spots are visible, hence the name parr. By the end of the river period of life, the juveniles change their coloration: the transverse striping disappears, and the body color from yellowish-greenish or olive becomes silvery. In salmon living in the sea, the body is silver-white below, the back is brown-green. On the surface of the body, especially above the lateral line, small X-shaped dark spots are scattered. With the approach of spawning, sexually mature fish begin to acquire mating attire (loose). They lose their silver color and become bronze or brown. Red and orange spots appear on the head and sides. Not only the appearance changes, but also the skeleton. In males, the front teeth increase, the snout and lower jaw lengthen and curve in a hook-like manner (sometimes similar changes are observed in older females). During this period, the fish stop eating.
Being a typical migratory fish, the Atlantic salmon spends part of its life in the sea, part in the river. On the Kola Peninsula in Lake Imandra salmon lives, the entire life cycle of which takes place in fresh water. Salmon from the rivers of the Barents and White Seas feed on the Norwegian Sea, where they keep close to the shore - at depths of no more than 120 m. They feed on capelin, gerbil, herring, smelt and other fish, as well as some crustaceans. Having lived in the sea from 1 to 3-4 years. adult individuals migrate (up to 1.5 thousand km long) to the rivers where they hatched. Here the salmon grown in the sea breeds.
Salmon spawning occurs in October - November, when the water temperature in the rivers drops to 9-7 ° C. For this, areas are selected with a current speed of 0.5 to 1.5 m / dc and depths of 0.2 to 1.5-2 m. and tail, it digs a depression 2-3 m long in the sandy-pebble soil, where it lays eggs, which are immediately inseminated by males. Then, with the help of her tail, she fills the eggs with gravel and pebbles, thus arranging a nest. Spawning of each female can last up to two weeks. During this time she had several nests.
Most adult Atlantic salmon die after the first spawning. Part of the spawning spawners survive and come to spawn again. Separate individuals can survive even after the second spawning and come to the river for the third, and in exceptional cases - for the fourth time. The surviving spawned individuals (roller) sometimes roll into the sea soon after breeding, but more often remain in the river for the winter and leave in the spring after the ice breaks. At the same time, they begin to actively feed. An interesting biological feature of salmon is the presence of dwarf males in its population. Unlike ordinary anadromous fish, they never leave the rivers and become sexually mature already in the second year of life with a length of only about 10 cm. In appearance, dwarf males do not differ much from juveniles (parr), however, they participate in spawning along with ordinary males.
Embryos hatch in April-May. In the rivers, juveniles spend from 1 to 5 years, most often 2-4 years. It grows slowly during this period: before migrating to the sea, the average length of juveniles is 10-15 cm, and body weight does not exceed 20 g.
Despite the high fecundity of salmon (one female from 3 to 10 thousand eggs), the commercial return from the eggs spawned by the female is very low - only 0.04-0.12%, and 87-90% of the fry that left the nests die on the first year of life in the river, and less than 1% survive to go to sea.
Commercial salmon fishing was carried out in 18 rivers of the Kola Peninsula. However, due to irrational fishing, the number of many populations has significantly decreased, and fishing had to be stopped. So. As a result of hydroconstruction, the populations of the Teriberka and Voronya rivers have been lost. In the future, the loss of populations of Drozdovka is possible. Ivanovka and Iokangi. At present, only in some rivers of the peninsula salmon populations of commercial importance have been preserved (the rivers Var-zuga, Umba). The largest in the Barents Sea basin is the Pechora population, the average annual number of which in different periods ranged from 80 to 160 thousand. In the last decade, annual catches have decreased by 2 times. There are many reasons. Continuing mole rafting of timber on salmon rivers, the construction of various kinds of hydroelectric power stations. irrational fishing, poaching, pollution of water bodies with industrial waste - all together leads to a decrease in the stocks of this most valuable fish in our region.
Pink salmon. Work on acclimatization in the waters of the Barents and White Seas of Pacific salmon - pink salmon was started in 1956. Caviar from the Far East was delivered by aircraft to fish hatcheries in our region, where it was additionally incubated. For a number of years, the plants of the Northern Basin produced from 6 to 36 million juveniles. In addition, for several years at the Taibol plant, additional juveniles were obtained from caviar collected from local producers. In some years, pink salmon entered the rivers of the European North in large quantities. Such mass entries on the Kola Peninsula were noted in 1960. 1965. 1971. 1973. 1975 and 1977. After the importation of caviar was stopped in 1978, the number of pink salmon began to decline. In recent years, single specimens have entered the rivers of the Barents Sea basin.
Spawning of pink salmon in the rivers of the Murmansk region occurs in August - October when the water temperature in the river drops to 5 ° C and below. In sexually mature individuals, the nuptial attire begins to appear even in the sea, but it acquires its final form already at spawning grounds. The spawning of pink salmon is similar to the spawning of other salmon. The average fecundity of a female is 1.5 thousand eggs. After spawning, the producers die. emerges from the nests the next year when the water temperature in the river is above 5 ° C and almost immediately migrates to the sea. In a year. having become sexually mature, pink salmon returns to the river to procreate. The entry of fish begins in May, reaches a maximum in July - August and continues until October.
Long-term work on acclimatization in the Barents and White Seas and fbushes did not give encouraging results. However, this type of salmon can be fully used as an object of mariculture. In this regard, in recent years, the development of methods for pasture rearing of pink salmon has begun on the White Sea. For these purposes, in 1984-^-1985. The importation of pink salmon caviar from the Magadan region to the Onega fish hatchery was resumed, which was reconstructed specifically for the incubation of caviar of this species.
In recent years, a new species has been used for acclimatization - steelhead salmon, one of the varieties of which is rainbow trout. This species was originally distributed in the rivers of the West Coast of North America, but then it began to be actively settled on other continents. Representatives of this species grow well, are more resistant to high temperatures, tolerate slight pollution of water bodies, so it is used for breeding in water bodies where heated water is discharged from nuclear power plants. For example, at the Kola nuclear power plant, such experiments had some success.
However, the release of new species into local water bodies is highly undesirable, since they can displace such valuable local species as, for example, brown trout. It lives in lakes, its weight can reach up to 4 kg. For spawning, it rises into rivers and streams with a fast current. The biology of brown trout is similar to that of its close relative, salmon. Brown trout has 2 main forms - passage and residential. It is extremely sensitive to water quality, does not tolerate water pollution at all.
In the rapids of most rivers of the Murmansk region, brook trout lives, smaller than brown trout, although both belong to the same species. The difference in size is due to their habitat. hence the difference in nutrition and growth rates. Trout and brown trout differ in color only in adulthood, while juveniles are very similar.
Arctic char, or palia, a fish with very small scales, reaching large (up to 10 kg or more) sizes, should also be attributed to this species. Lake char is much smaller. Char is a valuable object of fishing, like other salmon. It is highly sensitive to water quality, temperature, chemical pollution, and acclimatizing species. In this regard, special methods of protecting char are needed to prevent its loss from the ichthyofauna of our water bodies.
The grayling (Kharpus family) is also sensitive to unfavorable factors. This species is widespread in the water bodies of the Murmansk region. The grayling is small in size, usually does not exceed 40 cm (rarely - up to 50 cm), weight - within 1-1.5 kg. This is a typical river fish that prefers clean clear water rich in oxygen. Grayling also lives in lakes. It feeds on insect larvae (caddis flies, mayflies), as well as mollusks, small crustaceans and adult insects that have fallen into the water, especially during the mass summer of mayflies and caddisflies.
Smelt family. Small relatives of noble salmon and brown trout. Very widespread. Many of them are typically marine species, some go to fresh water for spawning, and a small part is permanently there. Representatives of this family have dorsal and adipose fins, scales easily falling off. Freshwater smelt rarely exceeds 20 cm. The mouth is large, large teeth are located on the jaws. Freshly caught smelt smells like fresh cucumber. Spawning takes place in early spring, still under the ice. Besides the fact that smelt is of commercial importance, it is also of great importance as an object of mass food for other fish species. Very sensitive to water pollution.
Capelin. This is a medium-sized schooling pelagic fish with a body length of up to 20-22 cm. It is found in the Arctic waters of the North Atlantic, including throughout the Barents Sea. Sometimes, during the years of large numbers, it also enters the White Sea. During the year, it makes regular migrations (foraging, wintering, spawning). Depending on the season, fish are concentrated in different parts of the sea area. In summer, during the feeding period, flocks of large sexually mature capelin live in the northeastern regions of the sea; smaller immature (at the age of 1-2 years) accumulates in the central regions. In September-October, with the seasonal cooling of the Barents Sea waters, the wintering migration of sexually mature capelin begins: from the feeding areas, the fish moves to the south and south-west. In the initial period of wintering in the central regions of the Barents Sea, accumulations of individuals of various age groups are observed - here there is a mixing of sexually mature and immature fish. Later, separation occurs: large individuals (14-20 cm long) migrate to the southern regions for spawning, and immature capelin remains in wintering areas (north of 74 ° 30 "N. Lat.).
The main spawning of the Barents Sea capelin occurs most often from February to May in the regions of Finmarken and on the Murmansk coast at depths from 12 to 280 m. Females spawn slightly sticky eggs right on the bottom - on sand or fine gravel. In the period from April to June, there is a mass hatching of larvae, which are carried from the spawning areas by the Murmansk and Novaya Zemlya currents in the east and northeast directions. In late August - early September, juvenile capelin (its length at this time is 3-4 cm) spreads in the central part of the Barents Sea (up to 76-77 ° latitude). and to the east it reaches the shores of Novaya Zemlya. In October-November, capelin underyearlings, mixing with sexually mature fish that came from the north from feeding places, create wintering aggregations.
Capelin is characterized by a rapid growth rate in the initial period of life. By the end of the first year, the average length of the fish is 10-12 cm. The maximum length (20-22 cm) of the Barents Sea capelin reaches the age of 4 years. The age limit for males is 7 years, for females - 6. Capelin is a typical plankton feeder.
Its main food is mass species of meso- and macroplankton (calanuses, euphausiids, hyperiids, chstognats). In general, capelin feeds on any available food. Following food, it makes vertical migrations, the daily rhythm of which is most pronounced in March - April: at sunrise, capelin descends into the bottom layers of the sea, and at sunset rises to the upper horizons. In summer, under polar day conditions, although vertical migrations are observed, they do not have a clear diurnal rhythm.
In recent years, capelin stocks have been severely undermined, mainly due to the irrational method of fishing - deep-sea trawls. Therefore, it was decided to stop fishing for several years to restore capelin stocks.
Cod family. Exclusively marine fish (except for one species). They have 2-3 dorsal fins and 1-2 anal fins, there is a mustache on the chin, and small scales. A distinctive feature of these fish is the absence of spines on all fins. About 30 species live in European waters, the most important of which is cod, which is very widespread. Stays in packs. It feeds on various crustaceans, worms, fish, especially small species such as gerbil and capelin. Adult fish migrate as different races of cod spawn at different depths and in different areas.
Cod has long been the most important commercial species. If earlier there were quite large specimens - up to 90 kg, then in recent years cod is much smaller - an average of about 10 kg or less. The biology of cod is well understood, but there are still many problems. The most important of them is the determination of the size of the fish catch, the correct conduct of fishing, i.e. the number of cod in the Barents Sea basin turned out to be severely undermined.
Other commercial marine fish include sea bass, haddock, halibut and catfish. Among the representatives of freshwater fauna, in addition to the species already mentioned, pike and river perch should be noted, which are found in many reservoirs and are well known to amateur fishermen.
Concluding a brief review of the class of fish, we note that the ichthyofauna of the Murmansk region is rich and diverse. For a long time in the seas, lakes and rivers in the Kola North, fish of the Barents Sea have been fishing for fish. The most important commercial species were and still are cod, halibut, and salmon. Excessive fishing, irrational fishing methods, severe environmental pollution have drastically reduced fish stocks. It is no coincidence that in recent years the fishing fleet has been fishing far beyond our territorial waters. In the late 1980s, the question arose of introducing fish into the Barents Sea. Several fish hatcheries were built, 3 fishery reserves were organized on the rivers Note, Ponoye and Varzuga, and the fight against poaching and pollution of water bodies is being carried out. However, this is clearly not enough and more decisive measures are required to prevent the impoverishment of the composition of the ichthyofauna and the number of populations of especially valuable species.
2009-2010 Alexander Valiullin
Severomorsky House of Children's Creativity

Some readers have a reasonable question... Why actually dive there at all?

To be honest, it is quite difficult to explain this... The world that is hidden under water is so amazing and fantastic, so unlike anything in our daily superficial life, that it is almost impossible to describe it in words... Even photographs, in fact, can hardly convey anything. … However, the question is hanging in the air and I will still try to answer it…

I will not talk here for a long time about kelp gardens, meditatively swaying to the beat of the movement of water masses ...

Or about the colorful underwater "flowers" of anemones, which feel surprisingly well in such cold water ...

Or about clearings of sea urchins that lie on the sandy bottom, like pebbles on the beach ...

Or about starfish, which are so funny to fit on your "epaulettes" ...

Or about outlandish fish that you will not find in other seas ...

Or about bizarre monsters - king crabs, at the sight of which gourmets dreamily swallow saliva ...

Let me tell you about the birds!

Yes, yes ... this is not a reservation! It is about the birds, for the sake of which we went on such a long journey! ..

For reference:
Guillemots are sea auks the size of an average duck (0.75 to 1.5 kg). They have a rather modest color: black on top, white on the bottom; the chin, throat and sides of the head are chocolate-brown. They mostly live in the sea, getting out on land only for the time of nesting. They feed on small fish, shrimp, crab fry, and sea worms. They are considered the most common inhabitants of the bird colonies of the Far North.

And these birds… DIVE!!!

This is actually how they get their food. But guillemots do not just lower their head or body under water, but fully dive to depths of up to 20 meters, where they can stay for up to several minutes! Under water, they move with the help of wings, with which they fully row in the right direction ...

Yes, most of all it resembles a real underwater flight!!! The fact is that birds have positive buoyancy. To stay under water, they need to constantly row! As soon as they stop doing this, they are immediately brought to the surface ...

At the same time, the speed at which they move in the water column is simply amazing! And the train of bubbles that stretches for each bird completes the picture!

“Guillemots lubricate their feathers with a special compound that is produced by the oil gland located on the back at the base of the tail. This composition of the bird is evenly spread over the body with its beak, it helps to maintain an ordered plumage structure and protects it from getting wet. Because of this lubrication, guillemots appear silvery under water - these are air bubbles that adhere to lubricated feathers.

By the way, it should be noted that at the same time the flyers of them are not very good. Narrow wings, perfectly adapted for swimming under water, frankly poorly keep the bird in the air. Therefore, guillemots cannot take off from a place, they need a platform for a run or a cliff from which they “fall” down and, already in the process of falling, become on the wing. It's funny that if you frighten off a flock sitting on the water, half of the birds will scatter and take off, and the other half, without hesitation, will go under the water and emerge somewhere at a distance.

Guillemots are not afraid of divers at all... Moreover, they even dive to them on purpose, out of curiosity. It is amazing to watch how a bird rushing past you at a decent speed very accurately follows you with its eyes !!! At the same time, they “fly up” quite close, sometimes even at a distance of 1-2 meters ... And some even circle around, looking at the outlandish creature from all sides! Involuntarily you think about who is watching whom ...

The tone is set by the first bird: if she dives to look at the divers, the rest are guaranteed to follow her!!! Active diving of some birds attracts the attention of others, and now a real bird soup is bubbling around!!! This is a fantastic sight ... It is impossible to convey in words!

The most decent video of those places that I could find on the net:

There is a gluing from different films... Already the first film gives a good idea of ​​what is under water in the Barents Sea (yes, yes... we saw exactly that... exactly). Birds appear after the 25th minute. And after the 30th minute, another inhabitants of these places appear, with whom we also happened to meet on that trip ... But that's another story! ..

The Barents Sea, or rather the Semiostrovie Reserve, where these bird colonies are located, is one of the few places in the world where it was possible not so long ago to dive with guillemots!.. Now, due to the fact that the Kartesh research vessel has stopped its existence, it became almost impossible to get there. Although

The marine component of the Northern Fisheries Basin of the Barents Sea and adjacent areas is one of the cleanest and least affected marine ecosystems, rich in various species of fish (more than 150) and invertebrates. Cod, haddock, saithe, black halibut, Atlantic herring, flounder, catfish, capelin, and shrimp are of the greatest commercial importance.

Deputy General Director for Development of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise National Fishery Yevgeny Marchuk

Fishing in the Barents Sea

Regional features include a significant impact on the nature of fishing activities in the Northern Basin of the international legal regime of maritime spaces and fishery regulation. Russian fishing enterprises operate in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Russia, economic zones of foreign states, areas where international agreements (conventions) apply.

It should also be noted that almost the entire catch of bottom species undergoes primary processing-cutting at sea on fishing vessels, and a significant part is frozen on board.

Industrial fishing in almost all is carried out on quota biological objects, with more than half of the extracted resources coming from foreign economic zones.

The most important commercial resources of the Barents and Eastern Norwegian Seas, cod and haddock (80 percent of the resource base), are transboundary and are jointly managed by Russia and Norway.

Cooperation in the field of fisheries is carried out on the basis of intergovernmental agreements, and practical work is carried out within the framework of the Joint Russian-Norwegian Fisheries Commission (SRC).

At the annual sessions of the RNC, TACs are set for cod, haddock, capelin and other fishery objects, the distribution of cod and haddock catches between fishermen of the two countries is carried out, as well as catch quotas of third countries are established, the main measures (rules) of fisheries regulation that must be observed by fishermen are approved all countries fishing in the area of ​​the agreement ...

It should be noted that the stocks of the main bottom fish species in the basin are in a satisfactory condition, and some (cod) are in a good condition.

Non-fish objects of fishing

Among the non-fish objects of fishing, the most important species are the king crab, snow crab - opilio, Icelandic scallop, and also the northern shrimp, the commercial value of which has decreased in recent years due to its massive consumption by cod.

It is well known that the effectiveness of the development of aquatic biological resources is determined not only by the state of stocks, but also by the technical condition of the fishing fleet, the level of its power supply, which makes it possible to use modern technologies for the production and processing of fish.

According to available data, the current fishing fleet of the Northern Basin, engaged in cod and haddock fishing (with inevitable by-catch), includes about 160 medium-tonnage and small-tonnage coastal fishing vessels.

The ships in operation are characterized by significant physical and moral wear and tear, their average age is about 28 years. Their outdated designs do not allow the use of the latest processing technologies and ensure the comprehensive, complete processing of raw materials, the production of products with high added value.

One of the vessels operating in the basin is the commercial SRTMK M-0170 "Pinro-2". This is the only production vessel in the basin, owned by the state, and is under the economic management of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Natsrybresurs".

Built (under a different name) at the Kyiv shipyard, it was completed in 1998 in the city of Nikolaev, it is the last fishing vessel of a large series of vessels of project 502 EM.

It was transferred to the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Natsrybresurs" by the decision of the authorized federal executive body in September 2002. Operational management of the vessel "PINRO-2" is carried out by the Murmansk branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Natsrybresurs".

As part of the development of quotas allocated by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Natsrybresurs", the vessel "Pinro-2" carries out the extraction and primary processing of cod, haddock and other commercial objects.

In 2002-2006, the ship operated in the Barents Sea and adjacent areas on the development of established catch quotas, and also participated in scientific research on cod, haddock and black halibut.

At the end of 2006, the vessel's RMRS classification documents expired and it was in Norway in the port of Kirkenes before being transferred to the port of Murmansk. In November 2010, the vessel began a major overhaul to renew the classification documents for the right to sail.

In June 2013, Pinro-2 was towed to the port of Murmansk to complete the repair, which was carried out at the Murmansk ship repair enterprise SevTechComp.

Despite the technical difficulties (after a long downtime) and the difficult economic situation, FSUE "Natsrybresurs" carried out a class repair of the PINRO-2 vessel.

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping

Thus, after almost seven years of inactivity and dilapidation, the vessel, having successfully passed all the necessary formalities, received the classification documents of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

On March 6, 2015, the fishing vessel "Pinro-2", manned by a professional crew and led by an experienced captain I.V. Bashkirov, fully provided with ship stocks, various supplies, fishing gear and other equipment, reached the development of the 2015 quotas for catching bottom fish species in the Russian Economic Zone.

The first cargo of finished frozen products in the amount of 218.8 tons was delivered to the port of Murmansk on April 5th. During 2015, the vessel went to sea to fish eight times. The total catch of bottom fish species amounted to about 2071 tons, almost 1510 tons of products were produced. Allocated quotas have been fully utilized. The ship returned from its last voyage on December 14, 2015.

All finished high-quality fish products entered the domestic market.

It should be noted that in order to maximize the use of the raw material base of the basin, an agreement was concluded with the Barents-White Sea Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fishery for the use of sea flounder, for which a catch quota is not set. About 135 tons of this commercial object were mined.

The result is not very impressive due to the fact that, due to its technical capabilities, the vessel cannot be equipped with additional equipment, the presence of which would make it possible to almost double the efficiency of sea flounder fishing.

At the same time, the ship did not stay at the berth and did not "eat up" the finances received from the sale of products.

The first voyage in 2016, after the next Register Survey and minor repairs, the vessel left on February 9.

First catches in the Barents Sea

A stable fishing situation is expected in the Barents Sea in 2016. Although the sea is an element, the weather is an unpredictable thing.

The first catches in 2016 have so far confirmed the good fishing condition of cod and haddock stocks in the area of ​​the western slope of the Gusina Bank (not far from the western coast of Novaya Zemlya), where the vessel is fishing. The catches are dominated by cod specimens weighing from 1 to 2 kilograms.

Although in the catches there are quite a lot of cod specimens weighing from 7 to 15 kilograms. Haddock is mostly 1 to 2 kilograms. This speaks not only of increased commercial stocks, but also of insufficient commercial activity in terms of catching fish of the limiting age.

At the same time, unfortunately, age-old fishermen also work at the conditionally middle-aged fishing "Pinro-2" (but younger than many others). The average age of fishermen is 45-50 years. There are very few young people. Personnel shortage every year is stronger and stronger. To whom to pass on the experience of many generations of fishermen? And this is an invaluable experience. There are no textbooks, books on how, where and when to trade in the Barents Sea.

Although in recent years a lot of work has been done in the industry to increase the prestige of the fishing profession, as well as the construction of a new highly efficient fishing fleet, this process needs to be accelerated, because we do not have much time left to correct the situation in Russia's return to the world leaders in marine fishing. Our competitors also do not stand still.

Deputy General Director for Development of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Natsrybresurs"

BARENTS SEA.

Geographic location. Bottom relief.

The Barents Sea is bounded from the north by the archipelagos of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, from the west by Medvezhy Island, from the east by Novaya Zemlya, and from the south by the mainland (from Cape North Cape to Yugorsky shar). In its configuration, it resembles a rhombus, the meridional axis of which is 1300-1400 km, and the latitudinal axis is 1100-1200 km.

The area of ​​the Barents Sea is estimated at 1360 thousand km 2. The sea lies within the continental shelf and is therefore comparatively shallow. The greatest depth of the sea is 548 m. This depth is located in the western part of the sea, between meridians 20 and 21°. As you move east, the depths decrease. The average depth of the sea is 199.3 m.

The Barents Sea is a part of the European continent, which in a relatively late era sank and was flooded with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Traces of river valleys are still preserved in the outlines of the bottom. This is also proved by relatively shallow depths, a flat, slightly hilly bottom topography (banks), the presence of long and wide valleys (troughs), and the geological community of insular rocks with continental rocks limiting this sea.

The deepest trough is located between the mainland and Bear Island. Depths here reach 500 m. The second trough runs between Bear Islands and Svalbard. There is less depth here. The third trough is located between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land and the fourth - between Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. In the middle of the sea there is, in addition, a vast depression with a depth of about 400 m.

Shallow waters - the central highland, the Perseus highland, the Spitsbergen Bank, the Novaya Zemlya shallow water, the Kaninsko-Kolguev shallow water, the Murmansk shallow water, the Gusinaya Bank - are separated by gutters and depressions. Depths in shallow waters do not exceed 200 m, usually ranging from 100 to 200 m. Shallow waters and banks are the main fishing areas in the Barents Sea.

Of the rivers flowing into the Barents Sea, the most significant is. Smaller rivers are , , (Motovsky Bay), , (Kola Bay), Indiga, , Chesha and others ()

Shores and soil.

The soils of the Barents Sea are mainly not of oceanic, but of terrigenous origin - sands, silty sands, sandy silts. In addition, there are soils of autochthonous origin in the Barents Sea. In the western part of the Barents Sea, the soils are dense, in the southwestern part spiculose silt has been deposited, in the southeastern part there are yellow soils - the result of the removal of rivers, in the northern part - brown soils containing a lot of iron and manganese.

The shores of the Barents Sea in the southwestern part of the fiord type are high, steep, composed of ancient crystalline rocks. These are the shores of Finnmarken in Norway. The Murmansk coasts of Russia are also of the fiord type. From Cape Kanin Nos to the east, the shores are sloping and low.

Of the bays, the largest are Motovsky, Kola, from the lips - Teriberskaya, Czech with an inner, shallower Indiga lip.

Hydrology.

For the Barents Sea, water exchange with the ocean is of great importance. The waters of the Gulf Stream, emerging from the Gulf of Mexico, give rise to a warm Atlantic current, whose branches penetrate into the Norwegian and Barents Seas. On the border of the Barents Sea, south of the Medvezheostrovsky bank, the Atlantic Current will split into Svalbard and North Cape branches. The Svalbard branch, which is more powerful, goes further in the form of a deep current (covered with Arctic water) to the polar basin, where it forms a warm intermediate layer. This layer was first discovered by Nansen and explored by the Papaninites during their drift on an ice floe in 1937.

The waters of the North Cape branch enter the Barents Sea between Bear Island and the North Cape. This branch, due to the features of the bottom topography, breaks up into 4 jets. Of particular importance are the two southern jets, which affect the regime of the waters of the southern part of the sea. The coastal, Murmansk, branch runs along the banks of the Murman, heading from the North Cape to the Kanin Peninsula. The second branch passes to the north and its waters reach Novaya Zemlya. Such a scheme of flows was established by N. M. Knipovich in 1906. Later, in the thirties, some additions were made to this scheme by other Russian researchers that did not change the essence of the scheme established by N. M. Knipovich.

Warm (4-12°) and at the same time more saline (34.8-35.2 ‰) Atlantic waters, entering the Barents Sea and meeting with local colder and less saline waters, form the so-called polar front. When waters of different physical composition meet, the Atlantic waters cool and sink. Powerful vertical circulation causes abundant aeration of deep waters and removal of nutrient organic substances to the surface layers. As a result, biological productivity in the polar front is especially high.

According to L. A. Zenkevich, the biomass of benthos reaches 600-1000 g per 1 m 2 in these areas, decreasing outside these areas to 20-50 g per 1 m 2.

The Barents Sea, being a transitional between the Norwegian - north-boreal and Kara - Arctic seas, is characterized by a corresponding temperature: in the western part, even in winter, the water temperature is positive from the surface to the bottom. In the middle part of the northern half of the sea, even in summer, only a thin surface layer warms up, and deeper water has a negative temperature. In the southern half of the middle part, at a depth of 200-250 m, the water warms up in summer to 1.5-2.0°C. In the northeastern part of the sea, the water temperature remains low in summer and near the surface. Off the coast of Murman, the surface temperature in August, during the period of maximum warming, reaches 12° and even somewhat more. The lowest temperature is in the Barents Sea at a depth of 50-75 m.

The northern and eastern parts of the sea are covered with ice for a significant part of the year. The southwestern part does not freeze, as a result of which the Murmansk coast is accessible for ships in winter.

The summer ice boundary usually runs along the line Svalbard - the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya, but in different years this line either moves north, or, on the contrary, passes south.

Ichthyofauna. Industrial fishing.

In 1921, while trawling in the Barents Sea, a member of the Northern Scientific and Fishing Expedition, E.K. Suvorov, for the first time noted the warming of the Barents Sea. It affected the distribution of ice and the area of ​​ice cover. According to N. N. Zubov, the area of ​​ice cover decreased in 1921-1931. by 20% compared to 1901-1906. Warming also affected the distribution of aquatic organisms. Cod began to appear off the coast of Novaya Zemlya. For the first time, significant concentrations of commercial size cod were discovered by V.K. Soldatov in 1921 at 69°31′ north latitude and 57°21° east longitude, that is, far to the east, where this fish had not yet been discovered by anyone. Cod was noted even in the Kara Sea. Mackerel pike (Scomberesox saurus) is a southern fish. Previously, this fish did not come east of the North Cape, and in 1937 it was found off the coast of Novaya Zemlya. In eastern Murman, a perch-like brahma (Brama rayi) has recently been discovered.

In terms of the diversity of the animal population, the Barents Sea is the richest in the European part of Russia. It contains about 2500 species, not counting the protozoa. There are 113 species of fish here. The entire animal population of the Barents Sea is divided into three zoogeographic groups: arctic, boreal or boreal-arctic and warm-water. The Arctic group, living at a temperature not higher than 2-3 °, includes some mollusks, in particular joldia (Joldia arctica), many echinoderms and about 20 species of polar cod fish, saffron cod, polar flounder, some eelpouts, etc.

The boreal-arctic group, associated with warm currents, includes some molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, and most commercial fish - cod, haddock, saithe, herring, sea bass, sea flounder, etc.

The warm-water group includes mackerel (mackerel), whiting (Odontogadus merlangus), and Argentina (Argentina silus).

In terms of biological productivity, the Barents Sea is the most productive sea in the Arctic Basin. In this regard, a huge number of fish from the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean come here for feeding in the summer.

The richest were the areas near the Medvezheostrovsky Bank, in the strip between the 35th and 40th meridians, the Kanina Nos area and the area to the west and south of Novaya Zemlya. These areas coincide with the polar front lines. The unproductive areas are the northern, northeastern and western.

Of the 113 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 97 are marine, 13 are anadromous and 3 are aquatic (living in both fresh and sea water). Among marine fish, about half are boreal-arctic, about 20 species are arctic. The rest of the marine fish species are random aliens from temperate and even tropical seas. Over 40% of all fish species are found only in the western part of the sea. As you move eastward, the number of fish species noticeably decreases and in the eastern part it is approximately 50% of the total number for the Barents Sea.

Especially abundant in the Barents Sea are cod (12 species), flatfish (11 species), eelpouts (13 species), gobies (Cottidae) (10 species). Salmonids in the Barents Sea basin are represented by eight species.

About 20 species of fish are used by fishery, and even then not to the full extent. These types include the following:

1. Cod (Gadus morhua).

2. Murmansk herring (Clupea harengus).

3. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus).

4. Sea bass: golden (Sebastes marinus), beaked (Sebastes mentella), small (Sebastes viviparus).

5. Saithe (Pollachius virens).

6. Capelin (Mallotus villosus).

7. Catfish: spotted Anarhichas minor, striped Anarhichas lupus, blue An. latifrons.

8. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida).

9. Navaga (Eleginus navaga).

10. Salmon (Salmo salar).

11. Char (Salvelinus alpinus).

12. Flounders: sea flounder (Pleuronectes platessa), rough flounder (Limanda limanda), river flounder (Pleuronectes flesus septentrionalis), ruff flounder (Hippoglossoides platessoides).

13. Halibut: white-barked (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and black halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides).

14. Czech-Pechora herring (Clupea harengus pallasi suworowi).

15. Gerbil (Ammodytis hexapterus marinus).

16. Sharks: polar (Somniosus microcephalus), prickly (Squalus acanthias).

17. Star ray (Raja radiata).

The main commercial fish of the Barents Sea: cod, herring, haddock, sea bass.