Highlights:
- The Rosrybolovstvo Great African Expedition will conclude in 2026. Vessels carrying the Russian research team traveled through the northern, western, and southern parts of the continent, reaching the Indian Ocean. The research covered six countries: Mauritania, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique. The data obtained remains to be processed, but even now, scientists and fishermen see prospects for fishery development.
"This is our contribution to global food security. Furthermore, up-to-date scientific research will allow us to expand the raw material base of domestic fisheries. The Atlantic is one of the promising areas for fishery development," noted Ilya Shestakov, Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries.
- The All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, a subsidiary of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, is planning a series of scientific expeditions in 2026 in all key fishery basins. Research is conducted annually, and the resulting data on stock status is used to organize fisheries.
- The Pacific branch of VNIRO plans research in the Far East fishery basin, which accounts for approximately 75% of Russia's total catch. In addition, specialists will continue to monitor the pollock population. A recovery in the South Sea of Okhotsk pollock stocks after a 40-year decline has been recorded, making it possible to increase the total allowable catch from 100,000 to 150,000 tons. Preparations are underway to resume the saury fishery; if commercial aggregations are discovered, information will be promptly communicated to fishermen. Another area of work is research on the Far Eastern sardine, the data from which is already being used by fishermen. Comprehensive research is planned by the Polar Branch of VNIRO in the Northern Fisheries Basin, during which scientists will assess stocks of bottom fish, halibut, Kamchatka crab, and other species. Specialists will also conduct an ecosystem survey of herring in the northern seas and a trawl-acoustic survey of halibut and perch near Spitsbergen—such work was not conducted in 2025.
- In 2026, the Baikal Branch of VNIRO plans to conduct research on the new research vessel Vikentiy Zaitsev, which will provide the most comprehensive data. As a result of the Federal Agency for Fisheries' comprehensive program to restore the Baikal omul population, the stock and abundance of this species are growing. Biomass increased from 7,500 tons in 2017 to approximately 11,000 tons in 2025. The possibility of opening a fishery for Baikal omul in the coming years is being considered. Comprehensive expeditions are planned in the Azov and Black Seas. The Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO will conduct a series of studies on the research vessel Oleg Betin.
- A significant increase in sturgeon stocks in the Sea of Azov has been recorded. Over the past 10 years, the stock has increased from virtually zero to 3,000 tons. Scientists predict a continuation of this positive trend and a possible resumption of the fishery.
- Work is underway to reintroduce the Azov-Black Sea shemaya of the Don River basin into the fishery. This was made possible thanks to the efforts of fisheries scientists, including specialists from the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO. In 2020, the species was removed from the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation and in 2024 from the regional Red Data Book of the Rostov Region. Recreational fishing is already underway, and plans are underway to establish a total allowable catch for this species and begin commercial fishing. Fishermen in the region have confirmed their interest in fishing for this species. Source: United Press Service of the Federal Agency for Fisheries