Results of the 2025 spring fishing season in the Kalmyk fishing zone of the Northern Caspian

 

Six fishing enterprises of various forms of ownership were engaged in fishing. Since the second ten-day period of March, easterly and south-easterly winds prevailed, which created a favorable hydrological regime for fishing. However, given the continuing drop in the level of the Caspian Sea, surge winds did not have such a positive effect on the rise in the water level in the fishing zone as before. As in the previous year, fishing was carried out mainly with fixed nets due to the good approach of carp. Secrets were not fully used in the fishery. The spring fishing season ended on May 20.

 

The catch volume of semi-anadromous and river fish in the spring of 2025 amounted to 742 tons, the development was almost 20%, which is almost at the level of the previous year. The share of the TAC-required fish amounted to 87.5% of the total catch, in commercial catches, as in 2024, carp, catfish and bream dominated. Of the recommended catch species ("other"), crucian carp, rudd and white bream predominated, they accounted for only 12.5% ​​of the catches. It can be noted that the drop in the level of the Caspian Sea has a negative impact on the number of places available for setting secrets, secrets are the main fishing gear for "others", and consumer demand for these types of aquatic biological resources, especially crucian carp, also remains low.

 

In the spring of this year, specialists of the Elista department of the Volga-Caspian branch of the Russian State Research Center “All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography” (VNIRO) conducted monitoring studies in the Northern Caspian and inland waters of the Republic of Kalmykia (Sostinsky lakes), collected material for assessing the commercial stock of aquatic biological resources, developing a forecast of the TAC and recommended catch (harvest) volumes of semi-anadromous and river fish.

 

Press service of VNIRO