Research into the effectiveness of natural fish reproduction in the Volga River delta continues - VNIRO
08 July 2025

Research into the effectiveness of natural fish reproduction in the Volga River delta continues

In order to assess the productivity of sturgeon species and black-backed herring, monitoring work was continued from the third ten-day period of June to the first ten-day period of July on the research vessels Ecologist and Daphnia of the Volga-Caspian branch of the Russian State Research Center All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) in the main channel of the Volga River, including the Main Bank, as well as in the area of ​​Gusiny Island from the villages of Zamyany to Enotaevka at depths from 4.5 to 10 m.
 
The current velocity in the studied areas varied from 0.45 to 1.0 m/s at a water temperature of 19.5 to 21.8 °C. Fishing for rolling larvae and juveniles of black-backed herring and sturgeon was carried out using IKS-80 ichthyoplankton nets and a 4.5-meter trawl. Five daily stations were conducted to study the dynamics of the migration of larvae and juveniles of black-backed herring and semi-anadromous fish species.
 
On the m/v Raskat, the survey of juveniles of migratory and semi-anadromous fish continued in residual reservoirs and in the coastal area of ​​the river system of the western part of the Volga River delta, including the water area adjacent to the Kirovsky and Gandurinsky banks. The largest number of juvenile fish was noted in the coastal area of ​​the river system adjacent to the Travinsky and Gandurinsky spawning areas.
 
The collected materials will be used to assess the conditions and efficiency of natural reproduction of migratory, semi-anadromous and river fish in 2025. The data obtained will allow a more objective approach to determining the total allowable catch and recommended catch for the future and assessing fish stocks.
 
Press service of VNIRO