Photo: Stockfile/FIS

Russian Fishermen Set New Pollock Catch Record

In 2024, Russia maintained its position as the world leader in pollock production, achieving a new milestone in the fishing industry.

The 2025 pollock fishing season in the Sea of Okhotsk, the primary area for harvesting this species, began on January 1. According to the Pollock Catchers Association (PCA), production in the first season is expected to increase by 4-6%, reaching an estimated 860-880 thousand tons.

Photo: Stockfile

Preliminary data from the PFA indicates that Russian fishermen achieved a record-breaking pollock catch of 1.985 million tons across all fishing areas in 2024, surpassing the previous high in 2023.

For 2025, the total allowable catch (TAC) for pollock is set at 2.461 million tons, with 1.1 million tons allocated to the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia's most significant pollock fishing region. The fishing season in this area is divided into two periods: Season "A," running from January 1 to April 10, and Season "B," from October 15 to December 31.

The chart highlights the steady increase in pollock production, reflecting Russia's continued global leadership in this industry (click the image to enlarge)

Promising Start to 2025

PCA,  President Alexey Buglak projects a 4-6% increase in the Sea of Okhotsk pollock catch for the 2025 Season A, which is expected to yield 860-880 thousand tons. Approximately 115 fishing vessels will participate, with peak weekly catches anticipated to reach 70 thousand tons. For comparison, Russian fishermen harvested 915 thousand tons of pollock in the Sea of Okhotsk during Seasons A and B combined in 2023.

"The upcoming season looks very promising," said Buglak. "Key factors influencing commercial fish concentrations are forecasted to be favorable. Oceanographers and meteorologists predict that ice conditions and weather—aside from occasional stormy periods—will not hinder commercial fishing operations during the winter-spring period."

Conservation and Management Efforts

To support sustainable fishing practices and the conservation of aquatic biological resources, the Federal Agency for Fisheries has established a working group to oversee pollock and herring fishing in the Okhotsk and Bering Seas.

The agency highlights important seasonal deadlines for fishing activities:

• Specialized pollock fishing in the West Kamchatka and Kamchatka-Kuril subzones concludes by April 1.
• In the North Okhotsk subzone, pollock fishing ends on April 10, while Pacific herring fishing continues until April 15, with a TAC of 310 thousand tons for the subzone.

As favorable conditions align with robust management efforts, Russian fishermen are poised for another record-setting year in pollock production, reinforcing the country’s leadership in the global fishing industry.

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