The catch of aquatic bioresources during this period amounted to 54,000 tons, a 26.5% increase over last year's figures and the highest in the last four years.
The main fish caught in the Black Sea are anchovy and sprat, while in the Sea of Azov, they are mullet, gobies, turbot, Black Sea shrimp, and rapa whelk.
The total catch in the Black Sea for 2025 is approximately 34,000 tons, a 51% increase over last year's figures.
Due to climate change and warm winters, Black Sea anchovy is increasingly remaining off the coast of Crimea, according to the "Black Sea Development Concept to 2040" project, prepared by specialists from the Azov-Black Sea Branch of the Russian State Research Center "All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO). As a result, the Russian catch of Black Sea anchovy exceeded the catch of Azov anchovy for the first time, reaching over 10,000 tons.
Furthermore, the sprat catch in 2025, compared to 2024, nearly doubled, reaching 11,900 tons, and 79% of the recommended catch was utilized, confirming the accuracy of the branch's forecasts.
Based on long-term expeditionary research and fisheries monitoring data, branch specialists have prepared a long-term forecast to 2040, presented in the monograph "Fisheries Potential of the Sea of Azov: Development under Climate Change and Ecosystem Transformation." This forecast predicts an increase in the stock of hazel mullet, Azov turbot and glossa flounder, sturgeon, and commercial invertebrates such as shrimp, scafarka (anadara), and rapa whelk.
The results of harvesting the main aquatic bioresources in the Sea of Azov confirm the accuracy of these calculations.
In 2025, the hazel mullet fishery showed positive trends, with coastal brigades catching 1,700 tons in the Sea of Azov and Taganrog Bay exceeding last year's figures by 26%.
The recommended catch volume of flounder in 2025 was increased from 22.0 tons to 35 tons and has been 100% utilized.
Recently, fishing companies have shown increasing interest in the harvesting of marine invertebrates (Black Sea shrimp and rapa whelk). The Black Sea shrimp catch in the Sea of Azov reached 488 tons, an 8% increase from the previous year, with the majority (82% of the total) harvested in the Northern Azov region (by companies in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions). Furthermore, this Black Sea shrimp catch volume represents a historical maximum for the Sea of Azov.
Rapa whelk catch dynamics in the Sea of Azov also show a positive trend, exceeding 2,000 tons, outpacing last year's figures. It should be noted that, thanks to the branch's recommendations, since 2024 the main area for rapana fishing has become the sea waters adjacent to the Northern Azov region.
Press service of VNIRO