The development of this type of fishing in Kamchatka began in the last century. Until the 1970s, amateur fishermen caught char, kunja, mykiss, grayling, smelt and other species of fish that were not considered valuable. In the 1970s, recreational fishing of Pacific salmon was allowed for the first time under one-time permits.
The development of this type of fishing is of great socio-economic importance for the peninsula. However, it is worth remembering that careless handling of fish resources can lead to their degradation. Therefore, it is very important to constantly monitor the status of stocks of fished species, primarily Pacific salmon.
In recent years, this monitoring has included the joint work of scientific organizations, in particular the Kamchatka branch of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) and enterprises engaged in recreational fishing (the Kamchatsky Salmon Association of Recreational Fishing). As a result of effective cooperation, the collection of primary biostatistical data on Chinook salmon producers from licensed areas was organized.
On the official website of the RPO "Camfishing" in the "Let's help science" section, any interested amateur fisherman can take part in the collection of biostatistical material. There is information on how to correctly measure the length and weight of caught fish, as well as take scale samples to determine age. In addition, for the convenience of sending information, the team of the ROO "Campfishing" created a chat bot @Salmonidae_bot in the Telegram messenger, and specialized places have been equipped at a number of fishing sites to conduct high-quality biological analysis of caught fish. The data collected during the season is promptly transferred for further processing and analysis to the Kamchatka branch of VNIRO.
The cooperation between the scientific institute and amateur fishermen is of great practical importance and promising. Starting this year, it is planned to expand not only the list of fish species for which biostatistical material will be collected, but also the number of areas involved where this will be carried out.
VNIRO press service