Thanks to research by the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO, new areas for chironomids extraction are being formed in the Northern Azov region

 

Particular attention is paid to shallow lakes located in the coastal zone of the Northern Azov region. The hydrological regime of these water bodies determines their increased mineralization and characterizes them as salty. The salinity level in these water bodies is favorable for the development of ultra-haline species of commercial bioresources, such as chironomids and artemia.

 

Of particular interest is the chironomid population. It is widely known that the larvae of chironomids, known as chironomids, are an important source of food for many fish and birds. In aquaculture, the presence of living organisms in the diet of fish, along with compound feed, contributes to more efficient feeding. The larvae of these insects also play an important role in the self-purification processes of water bodies.

 

Currently, in the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin, chironomids are an object of industrial fishing and occupy the second place in terms of production volume after the commercial mollusk - rapana. The main fishing area for this species is the Sivash Bay.

 

In 2024, as part of fisheries research aimed at assessing the state of aquatic biological resources, employees of the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO organized an expedition to the lakes of the Berdyansk group in the Zaporizhia region. The main goal of the expedition was to collect hydrobiological samples, identify commercial aquatic bioresources, as well as assess their condition, distribution, reproduction and, subsequently, determine their reserves. The studies made it possible to establish the presence of chironomids and Artemia with high numbers and biomass in the biotopes of salt lakes.

 

Thanks to the data obtained, new areas for chironomids fishing in the Zaporizhia region were identified and fishing will open there this year. This will not only open new horizons for users, but will also increase the efficiency of using the existing raw material base.

 

Press service of VNIRO