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Posted On

02
March
2023

Ukraine more than halves catch of aquatic biological resources in 2022 due to war – State Fisheries Agency

KYIV. March 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The total catch of aquatic biological resources in the waters of Ukraine decreased last year due to the full-scale Russian invasion by 54% compared to 2021, to 33,800 tonnes from 74,800 tonnes.

As reported on the website of the State Fisheries Agency on Thursday, due to Russian armed aggression, fishing in the Azov and Black Seas practically stopped last year, with the exception of certain areas in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.

According to the agency, in 2022, the industrial catch of aquatic biological resources decreased by 67% compared to 2021, to 10,100 tonnes, including in inland waters, their catch amounted to 9,950 tonnes (44% less), in the Black Sea – 76 tonnes (99.1% less), and in the Sea of Azov – 24 tonnes (99.5% less).

“Fishing outside the jurisdiction of Ukraine was prematurely stopped due to the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, which made it difficult to replace the crew of the vessel that caught Antarctic krill. The total volume of aquatic biological resources harvested by vessels under the state flag outside the jurisdiction of Ukraine amounted to 9,660 tonnes, which is 58.3% less than in 2021,” the state agency said in the statement.

In addition, 10,600 tonnes of marketable products were caught in aquaculture facilities in 2022, most of which were carp and herbivorous fish. In addition, special commercial fish farms, combining elements of aquaculture and commercial catch, produced 3,400 tonnes of aquatic biological resources in 2022, which is 52% less than last year. In general, in 2022, some 95 organizations carried out economic activities in the special commercial fish farm mode.

According to the State Fisheries Agency, in most regions of Ukraine subjected to temporary occupation, fish farms suffered significant property damage due to damage to ponds, hydraulic and other structures, buildings, production equipment, as well as the death of fish. In addition, the mining of certain territories made it impossible for farms to access their production facilities and economic activities.