This year, representatives of government, science, and business collaborated to develop a strategy for addressing the systematic decline of the salmon run amid climate change.
Opening the event, Anton Zaitsev, Chairman of the Sakhalin Oblast Government, recalled that in 2025, the total fish catch was not much different from average, reaching approximately 740,000 tons. The results of the red run were affected by an abnormally hot summer. High water temperatures in the rivers created unfavorable conditions for spawning.
The Sakhalin Oblast is the most challenging region in the Far East in terms of organizing and conducting the salmon run. Researchers are prepared to offer two scenarios: an optimistic one and a pessimistic one. Final forecasts are expected by the meeting of the Far Eastern Scientific and Industrial Council.
"The main challenge facing the fishing industry is to preserve the salmon population with a minimum 50% occupancy of spawning grounds, including for chum salmon. To achieve this, fishermen are being offered a balanced strategy with a number of restrictions on the locations and timing of permitted fishing," noted the director of VNIRO.
Overall, scientists predict that, in any case, the total salmon catch in the coming season will be higher than last year.
"We expect that this year's climatic conditions will be within the norms of recent years, and fishing enterprises will be able to improve their results," commented ARSO President Maxim Kozlov.
The pink salmon fishery is scheduled to begin on July 15, and the chum salmon fishery on August 16.
VNIRO Press Service