The meeting of the scientific and industrial council was attended by: Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District A.A. Ermakov, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov Region - Chairman of the Committee on Agrarian Policy, Nature Management, Land Relations and Cossack Affairs V.N. Vasilenko, representatives of the Azov-Black Sea territorial administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, the State Research Center of the Russian Federation "All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO), the Azov-Black Sea and Volgograd branches of VNIRO, the Azov-Don and Azov-Black Sea branches of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Glavrybvod", the Ministry of Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Krasnodar Territory, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Rostov Region, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Crimea, the Committee of Agriculture of the Volgograd Region, Border Services and Directorates of the FSB of Russia, associations of fishing organizations of the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs engaged in fishing in the Azov and Black Seas. During the work of the Council, the results of the fishery of aquatic biological resources in the Azov and Black Seas for 2024 were summed up, an analysis was conducted and the main reasons for the change in catch volumes compared to previous years were named.
Researchers of the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO reported in their reports on the ongoing and expected climate changes up to 2030-2040, based on long-term hydrometeorological monitoring series at coastal hydrometeorological stations (since 1976) and data from expeditionary research of the branch (for the period 1956-1960 to the present).
At the Council, specialists of the Azov-Black Sea branch presented a medium- and long-term forecast for the development of the raw material base and the fishery of aquatic biological resources in the Black Sea, an assessment of the state of stocks and the prospects for the fishery of mullet in the Sea of Azov was given.
The head of the Center for Aquatic Bioresources of the branch, V.A. Luzhnyak, reported on the positive dynamics of restoration of sturgeon stocks in the Azov Sea in his speech. According to scientific observations, the positive dynamics of restoration of Russian sturgeon stocks in the sea area is maintained, the biomass of which increased from almost zero to 3 thousand tons over the period from 2014 to 2024. Positive dynamics are also noted for the Azov stellate sturgeon. A steady increase in the sterlet population is recorded in the Don River, especially in the lower reaches, below the dam of the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex.
The report on the state of stocks of commercial invertebrates (Black Sea shrimp, rapana, scapharka, mussel) and the prospects for their fishing in the Azov Sea aroused keen interest among the fishery industry representatives present at the meeting.
At the Council meeting, the branch staff presented their own scientific developments on the issue of combating the rapidly increasing biomass of jellyfish, which poses a serious problem for fisheries and recreation in the Azov and Black Seas. Analysis of domestic and international experience to date shows the lack of methods for global reduction of jellyfish stocks in marine waters without harming other types of aquatic bioresources. In this regard, the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO conducted a number of relevant studies aimed at reducing the negative impact of jellyfish in the region. Methods have been developed to reduce the negative impact of jellyfish on the most sensitive and vulnerable fishing gear - fixed seines, a project has been developed for an experimental system for installing barrier stretch nets to locally reduce the concentration of jellyfish in places where fishing gear is installed or near the beach, the preparation and experimental testing of which is planned to be carried out in 2025-2026. In addition, the branch is developing specialized tools for harvesting (catching) jellyfish. During the discussion of the reports, the fishermen informed the Council about the problems they encountered in their fishing activities, made proposals concerning the Fishing Rules to expand the regions of production and shift the timing of catching a number of aquatic organisms, improve fishing gear, etc. All proposals were included in the minutes of the meeting for further development.
Press Service of VNIRO
