In 1966, he was directly involved in the transportation of large shipments of Far Eastern crustaceans by rail from Primorsky Krai to the Murmansk Region.
The purpose of acclimatization of the Kamchatka crab in the waters of the Barents Sea was to expand the volume of its fishing due to the formation of a stable population in the marginal waters of the Arctic Ocean.
According to the expectations of Russian scientists, it took about 40 years for the new population to reach commercial size and abundance. The naturalization of the Kamchatka crab in the Barents Sea occurred at the turn of the century.
Among the factors that contributed to successful acclimatization in the waters of the Barents Sea are the similar climatic and biogeographic conditions in the Far Eastern and new range of the species, an adequate food supply (a wide range of benthic invertebrates: mollusks, sea urchins, worms, local crustaceans) and the absence of native predators that pose a threat to the Kamchatka crab.
By 2020-2025, the annual Russian crab catch in the Barents Sea has stabilized at 10-12 thousand tons, and since 2020, amateur fishing of Kamchatka crab has been allowed. For the current year, the catch of Kamchatka crab in the amount of 14.5 thousand tons has been scientifically justified in the Russian zone of the Barents Sea, while maintaining the reserve at the optimal level for further reproduction.
Minimizing the impact of an invasive species, which is considered to be the Kamchatka crab, on local ecosystems and maximizing the benefits of harvesting this crustacean is possible under the condition of rational anthropogenic impact. Scientifically based recommendations on fishing volumes contribute to the conservation of stocks of these aquatic biological resources at a level that ensures the sustainability of the functioning of the ecosystems of the Barents Sea.
VNIRO Press Service
