Summer fishing in the Barents Sea. Amateur fishing in the Barents Sea Barents Sea fish species

Summer holidays are getting closer and closer in 2018. Russians are happy to spend this long-awaited time not only in the south of the country. Amateur fishermen appreciate every opportunity to go out into nature, where they plunge into the familiar and reckless process of fishing.

A great opportunity to turn the most daring fishing fantasies into a real rich catch is summer fishing in the Barents Sea. It will require from each participant who gets to the northern outskirts of the country ("savage" or "organized" tourist) courage, foresight, good physical shape and careful preparation of equipment.

Features of national fishing in northern latitudes

Many come to the Kola Peninsula not only for a wonderful catch, but also for the unique emotions that sea fishing gives. The local inhabitants of the depths were forced to adapt to the harsh climate, so they are much more active, powerful and larger than their river counterparts. Fishing in the Barents Sea is of 2 types:

1. In the numerous bays that cut through the complex coastline, free fish is caught from the shore, from a boat, near the piers. There is one problem - it will be possible to drive up to open water only on the Sredny Peninsula, near the villages of Rybachy, Dalnie Zelentsy, Teriberka, Ura-Guba.
2. Actually sea (paid) fishing, where only the vast expanse, seals, whales and birds are visible from the yacht, since you have to move away from the coast at a distance of 5-10 km. It is recommended to rent a vessel (for a day with an overnight stay, without going ashore, for 45,000 rubles) or buy a 3-day complex tour for 66,000 rubles (with processing of the catch on the ship, excursions, insurance, meals, paperwork).

Fauna of the Barents (Russian) Sea

• Shark (polar and prickly);
• Char;
• Catfish (three subspecies);
• Flounder;
• capelin;
• Sea bass;
• Minek;
• Navaga;
• Gerbil;
• Haddock;
• Halibut (two subspecies);
• Sayda;
• Herring (two subspecies);
• Saika;
• Salmon;
• stingray;
• Cod.

What gear, bait, bait, bait are used

For a sea adventure, you need to stock up on a large fishing assortment, which consists of several items. Tackle. A rod up to 2 m long, with a test of 500-700 g, a multiplier reel with a diameter of 0.4-0.8 mm and a 200-meter nylon or dacron fishing line, stranded cords, a cord with a lead core, marine echo sounders, extractors, landing nets, hooks, loops - grabs, cages, depth gauges, lights for night fishing.

The bait is:

• Marine polychaete worms, dung worms;
• Crabs and their meat;
• Shrimps;
• squids;
• Mussels;
• Zywiec;
• pieces of fish;
• The spleen of birds and animals.

Groundbait is prepared from ground fish, which is placed in a feeder and lowered into the water below the waterline (this method is only effective in areas with good flow). They mostly consist of chopped mackerel, herring, sardines and other fish that are thrown overboard to attract sharks, tuna. Widely used for catching flounder, cod perforated canned food for pets.

Artificial bait (jig heads, twisters, vibrotails, spinners) should look like real food. (Silicon baits treated with attractants will serve as a good help). It is important not to miss the moment for hooking and playing the fish until it spit out the bait. However, this standard rule of classic fishing is applicable everywhere and always.

Video summer fishing in the Barents Sea:

For the Barents Sea, 114 species of fish are known, which are part of 41 families. As we move to the east, within the Barents Sea, the species diversity of fish rapidly decreases, and in the eastern part of the sea, only half of the indicated number was found. AT this case the main negative factor is a significant drop in temperature and mainly a severe winter regime and floating ice.

Among all the fish of the Barents Sea, they are distinguished by the number of species of the cod (12 species), flounder (11 species), eelpout (13 species), goby (10 species) and whitefish (7 species) families. Most families are represented by one or two species. Such single species are also important commercial objects - sea bass (Sebastes marinus) and herring (Clupea harengus).

A little more than 20 species can be classified as commercial fish of the Barents Sea, of which only about a dozen are of the most significant importance. In the first place in the fishery are cod (Gadus callarias), haddock (Gadus aeglefitius), sea bass and herring (Fig. 205).

Figure 205.

The importance of these fish in the fishery varies greatly from year to year (Table 50).

Minor species of fisheries include several species of catfish (Anarrhichas), sea flounder (Pleuronectes platessa), ruff flounder (Hippoglossoides platessoides), halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), pollock (Gadus virens) and shark (Somniosus macrocephalus).

H. Knipovich's discovery at the very beginning of this century of possibility great development trawl fishing in the Barents Sea was not used in Tsarist Russia for a long time, and fishing on Murman, it had a purely artisanal coastal nature of longline fishing. Only attempts were made to organize a trawl fleet by private industrialists. AT Soviet time trawling began to develop rapidly (Table 51).

In 1938, in the Barents Sea, the trawl fleet of the USSR, England and Germany produced about 6 million centners. To this should be added at least another 1 million centners from coastal fishing.

Herring fishing in the Barents Sea is not yet regular, but in some years it gives our country up to 1 million centners.

There are in the Barents Sea also such mass fish, very valuable in terms of nutrition, which so far are very little or not yet captured by the fishery, but in the future they represent very great opportunities. These, by the way, include small pelagic fish: capelin (Mallotus villosus) and polar cod (Boreogadus saida), flounder-ruff and some others (Fig. 206).

Figure 206.

All this mass of commercial fish, estimated in millions of tons, requires much larger quantities of food organisms - plankton and benthos - for their nutrition. We have determined the total amount of one in the other at 200-240 million tons; in some part, this huge mass of organisms is used by commercial fish. The main fish species are distributed according to nutrition mainly among different food groups of organisms - some feed on plankton (herring, sea bass), others on benthos (sea flounder, haddock), and others on fish (cod) and planktonic crustaceans.

Small mass pelagic fish are sometimes used by a wide variety of fish and other animals, which can be seen in the example of the polar cod.

The main food of cod is small pelagic fish: herring, capelin, juvenile cod and haddock and polar cod. Fish makes up at least 60% of cod food. In second place after fish are large planktonic crustaceans from amphipods, euphausiids and decapods. In the eastern part of the sea, a significant part of the food is made up of bottom animals - crab, hermit crab and various other larger representatives of amphipods, isopods and cumaceans, and to a lesser extent worms and mollusks.

Haddock, in contrast to cod, feeds on benthos: mollusks, worms, crustaceans and echinoderms.

The main food of the herring, as we have indicated, is planktonic copepods.

It remains to say a few words about birds, since they are essential for marine organisms, mainly for planktonic crustaceans and small fish.

Large bird markets are concentrated along the western coasts of Novaya Zemlya. The main form is guillemot (Uria lomvia), the number of which on Novaya Zemlya is estimated at 4 million pieces. The waters of the Barents Sea, teeming with life, provide abundant food for all this mass of birds, which consume mainly capelin and polar cod from fish, and euphausiids from crustaceans.

The Barents Sea has never been considered friendly. It is no less severe than the harsh nature of the Arctic. But most importantly, unlike other Arctic seas, the Barents Sea does not freeze in winter. Warm currents from the Atlantic warm its waters. That's why amateur fishing in the Barents Sea attractive at any time of the year.

The coastal zone of the Barents Sea is distinguished by an uneven bottom with a predominance of depths up to 200 meters, and the bottom also has many shoals. The shores are mainly composed of rocky granite rocks. They are devoid of vegetation and steep in many places. The sea is characterized by frequent stormy weather. in the waters Barents Sea There are 114 species of fish, of which about 20 species are commercial species of great importance. The most important commercial species are halibut, cod, herring, catfish, salmon, polar cod and other species. Of particular value is salmon, which spawns in many rivers on the Kola Peninsula.

The richest in the number of species is the family cod fish, of which there are 19 species, followed by the flounder family of 9 species. There are 7 species of salmon in the Barents Sea, as well as 12 species of gobies. The tides of the Barents Sea can reach a height of 4 m, which leads to strong currents in the bays.

Amateur fishing in the Barents Sea most favorable at this time. During the high tide, large flocks of saithe, flounder, haddock, cod rush to the shore in search of food. Amateur fishing away from the coast due to harsh conditions and great depths is practically inaccessible.

In the Barents Sea, among the numerous bottom fish, cod is considered the main species. Spawning of this fish occurs off the coast of Norway in its northwestern part. The main feeding grounds for cod are on the southern side of the Barents Sea.

The largest and oldest cod spawns the very first, the caviar of this fish is not in one place but floats on the water. When the cod reaches an age, at 3-4 years old it strays into large flocks, and at the age of 5 years it begins to move over fairly long distances. In feeding areas, cod keeps both at the very bottom and in the water. In summer, cod prefers to be on banks, and in winter it goes to great depths. With the onset of spring, huge shoals of cod enter the southern waters of the Barents Sea from the west and then move eastward as the water warms up. Throughout the summer, cod intensively feeds on banks, and with the onset of cold weather, the fish begins to migrate back to the coast of Norway, where its spawning grounds are concentrated. Large shoals of cod that have not yet reached spawning age winter in the Barents Sea. Cod migration paths to feeding grounds practically coincide with the direction of the currents. In autumn and spring, cod can make vertical diurnal migrations. One more important feature cod is its fastest growth.

Fishing enthusiasts prefer to fish in bays and bays. The longest and widest bay in the Barents Sea is the Kola Bay. Few amateurs dare to fish in the open sea, as it is dangerous. AT winter period when there are severe frosts, some bays and bays can become covered with ice. But it is impossible to fish on this ice, it is usually too thin, it begins to break as soon as the first waves begin to come from the sea.

Fishing in the Barents Sea in most cases, it is carried out with the help of sheer glittering, or jigging. Part of this is best suited spinning equipped with a spinning or inertial reel, and better multiplier, some anglers prefer to use a reel.

To do this, a strong fishing line with a diameter of 0.8-1 mm is selected, and a heavy lure equipped with a large double or tee is mounted at the end of the fishing line. Above the spinner, from three to five leashes equipped with hooks are attached at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other. Hooks should be equipped with rubber tubes. Fishing in the Barents Sea using sheer lure is carried out at the very bottom, while the tackle periodically twitches. This method is best for catching haddock, cod or saithe. If in the place of fishing big fish absent, use less aggressive tackle. In this case, the lure is replaced with an ordinary sinker and smaller hooks are placed, and bait is also used in this case. Usually bait is a sea worm, amphipod, or pieces of any fish. The load must be lowered to the very bottom, in this way it is good to catch haddock, medium-sized cod, halibut, flounder. In late summer or early autumn, large flocks of saithe begin to appear. And this period it can be caught not only on the described tackle, but also with ordinary spinning with any bait.

The Barents Sea has a close relationship with the Atlantic Ocean, more precisely with its northern part. Here the Arctic region of high atmospheric pressure and a specific Icelandic low. In addition, a strong influence on climatic features has the North Atlantic warm current and its branches. This determines the complex hydrological regime and climate of the Barents Sea. The coldest month is February, at this time in the northern part of the sea t ° is usually - 25 ° and about - 5 ° in its southwestern part. As for the summer period, in the warmest August in the southwest, t ° is about +10, ° and in the north it is 0 °.

Also in the Barents Sea there are frequent fogs, sometimes (even in June) there are snowballs and high clouds. The sea near the coast is very rich not only in the ichthyofauna, which was mentioned above, but also in various marine flora, especially brown, green and red algae, among which kelp, ascophyllum and fucus predominate.

Fishing in the Barents Sea requires skill and courage, but the catches justify all the efforts expended by anglers.

Other interesting materials:

How to get to the place of fishing:

The most convenient and cheapest way to get to Teriberka is by car. To make it profitable and comfortable for you on the road, there must be three people in the car (two drivers are required).

Why exactly three people and at least two drivers in the car?
Such a number of people allows you to comfortably get to Teriberka, without long stops. One driver drives the car, the second gets enough sleep lying in the back seat, the third participant secures.
*These are our recommendations based on experience, the decision to travel is yours to make. You can go alone, but will it be safe? Yes, you will have to pay for all the gas. You should not put passengers on all seats, you will deprive people of comfort and you most likely will not have enough trunk space for things and loading fish on the way back.

How many kilometers to Teriberka?
- from Vyborg 1550 km.
- from St. Petersburg 1400 km.
- from Moscow 2000 km.

How long does it take to get to the fishing spot?
- the road from St. Petersburg usually takes 18-26 hours, depending on road conditions, snacks, stops for photography, rest.

How much does it cost for petrol?
- on average, round-trip gasoline costs 15,000 rubles. to the car.

If I don’t have a car or I don’t want to drive my own, then how can I get to Teriberka?
There are several options:
- at free places in the cars of other participants and the desire of the owner, you can be taken with you.
- to agitate friends who have a car for a trip.
- buy a plane or train ticket to Murmansk, so that you can get to the sea in time, order a transfer to Teriberka. This option has disadvantages due to weather conditions the road may be closed, then there is a high probability of being late for the right time in Murmansk. And an interesting question arises, how to bring the caught fish?

Tackle for sea fishing in the Barents Sea in Teriberka.

A memo for those who want to buy tackle for sea fishing. This article is purely personal recommendations based on many years of experience. We will tell you what gear we use and explain why.

What are sea fishing tackle made of?
Spinning, sea reel, braided cord, equipment - single hooks, carabiners, rings, punda with a tee.

Spinning for sea fishing in the Barents Sea.
The length of the spinning rod must be at least 1.6 meters and not more than 2.1 meters with a test of 300 to 1000 grams. With a large test, the fish can be dragged without fear that something will break, but the pleasure of playing is reduced in proportion to the test. But with a small test, the opposite is true. The rod is very sensitive, every jerk is felt, but you need to be careful with sudden movements, the spinning rod may not withstand excessive jerks.
The longer the rod, the more jerking of the fish is felt, with a long rod it is not very convenient on the ship, it will interfere everywhere, it is more difficult to unravel, it is more difficult to lift the fish on board.
You need to find a middle ground for yourself, there is no ideal option.

There are two options for spinning with rings or rollers. Each has its pros and cons

Pros and cons of spinning with rollers:
The main plus of rollers is that they are very well tolerated by blows and spinning throws, and this very often happens on an iron vessel when pulling out fish. It is believed that spinning with rollers rubs the braid less. Of the minuses - sometimes the cord jumps off the rollers and gets stuck, this must be monitored.
Sea rod Mystic Heavy Pilk 59EH (175 cm, 500-1000g)

Marine rod Surf Master Commander with rollers 1.65m (300-700gr)

Pros and cons of spinning with rings:
Silent and light, rarely seen with a large test and a small length. Very often, the inserts in the rings fly out and break during transportation and fishing. You should always carefully place the spinning rod on the deck.
Sea rod Maximus Deep Hunter 210H

Recommendations:
- be sure to disassemble the spinning immediately after each fishing and rinse it in fresh water.
- The tip of the handle must be equipped with an axial rotation locking cross.
- The thicker the handle, the more comfortable.
- It is desirable to have an aluminum ring for attaching the coil.

Marine coil.
The best reel in terms of price-quality-reliability ratio Penn Commander pro 30. For many years the coil did not fail.

Recommendations:
- be sure to lubricate the mechanisms after each fishing season

- Comfortable thick handle
- The more bearings the reel has, the better.
- Mandatory presence of a logger.
- The reel must hold at least 250 meters of braided line with a diameter of 0.4 - 0.8 mm.

Cord
Braided cord should be selected with a diameter of 0.4 to 0.8 mm. The breaking load must be at least 30 kg. Fishing line for sea fishing is not suitable, as it stretches during sharp strokes of the rod, and the equipment practically does not move at depth.
Recommendations:
- Take a cord with a color change every 10 meters. You can easily determine the depth and level of winding the bait.
- The most running cord diameter is 0.5 mm. with a breaking load of at least 45kg.
- Use special cord knots


- It is better to buy a winding of 300 meters.
- The cord is a consumable, it makes no sense to buy very expensive ones.

rigging
The equipment consists of a spinner and one or two single hooks.
We use "punds" with a tee in the equipment and no more than two hooks in the suspension.
"Pounds" have a relatively large weight - from 500 gr. up to 1 kg. The most optimal weight is 700 grams. Such a weight is necessary so that the “pound” sinks to the bottom as quickly and smoothly as possible without disturbing other fishermen, very often there are strong undercurrents in the Teriberka area, light tackle will be carried away and you will constantly be confused with partners.
The size of "Punda" is from 15 to 30 cm, this is the approximate size of capelin, herring and juvenile cod. We recommend making "Pounds" from stainless pipes and filling them with lead, it will be much cheaper than store-bought ones.
"Punda" is equipped with a large strong tee no less than No. 12. The larger the hook, the easier it is to pull it out of the fish's mouth. It is possible to plant a red cambric to the tee.
The tackle is equipped with a suspension, one or two single hooks with red cambric no less than No. 10, tied to the main cord on short leashes at a distance of 50-80 cm from each other above the "pound".
The gear should look like this:
Cord, swivel, carabiner, two-hook snap, carabiner, swivel ring, punda, ring, swivel, ring, tee
Recommendations:
- do not buy cheap and Chinese fittings, everything breaks and bends.

How to catch?
Catching takes place on a sheer lure. At the captain's signal, the tackle is lowered to a depth, usually 1 - 2 meters from the bottom. Next, you need to sharply rhythmically pull the spinning rod. The swing amplitude should be 1-2 meters. In the process of flashing, we change the speed, amplitude, try different variants. When changing the place of fishing, the captain gives a signal and everyone raises the tackle on board.

What time do we start and end fishing?

Teriberka has long been considered the most profitable place for sea fishing due to its proximity to the open sea. Capelin comes here to spawn, and this is a delicacy for cod. Yes, and the cod itself spawns here. From March to June, huge shoals of fish gather in the Teriberka region and it is easy to catch it at depths of 20 to 120 meters.

07:30 - 08:00 from the port of Teriberka
- Boarding the boat
- Checking documents by border guards
- Departure of the vessel

Transfer to the place of fishing: Dolgaya Bay - 40 min., Cape Teribersky - 1 hour, Opasovo Bay - 1.5 hours, about. Kildin - 3 hours

At the request of guests, for cooking fish soup or other delicacies, you can hide from excitement in the nearest lip. There you can fish in a calm atmosphere and clean up the deck. In the sea, food, as a rule, is not cooked, shakes.

In the event of stormy weather, force majeure, MORF exercisesthe captain makes his own decision to stop fishing and goes to the port.

18:00-20:00 Arrival in Teriberka

Checking the catch by a fish inspector
- Unloading the catch

The ichthyofauna of the Barents Sea is the richest. At least 140 species have been noted here. Most of them are typical marine forms that spend their entire lives in salt waters and breed here. Some species are anadromous (salmon, trout, char, whitefish, etc.). their life cycle takes place in both salt and fresh water. Some species belong to river fish and are found only in desalinated waters near the mouths of rivers (pike, ide. Palim)

All fishes and fish-like fish living in the Barents Sea represent 53 families. The richest species are cod (18 species), eelpouts (13 species). goby (12 species), flounder (9 species), salmon and stingray (7 species each). Most families are represented by 1-2 species.

Many commercial fish make long migrations and in different seasons of the year can be found in different areas, penetrating far to the north and east. First of all, these are the most important fish for trawling, such as cod, haddock, and sea bass. the same places.

In relation to temperature conditions, all Barsnetsvomorsky fish can be assigned to two groups: representatives of the borsal-Arctic or warm-water-boreal faunas. Most of marine fish. having commercial importance, belongs to the boreal low arctic fauna, i.e. organisms widespread in the seas south of the Arctic Circle, but adapted to life in more severe conditions. For such species (ceibdb. capelin, cod), the Barents Sea is the northern or eastern boundary of distribution. The borsal fauna contains about half of all species, but they are usually found only in the western part of the sea, not going far to the east. Typical representatives of another group are polar cod and navaga. Mackerel, blue whiting, whiting, argentina are noted among the warm-water guests in the Barents Sea. brama.

Compared to the Barents Sea species composition The ichthyofauna of the White Sea is much poorer. According to some researchers, 51 species are registered. according to others - 68. Of these, 12 are semi-passable. The impoverishment of the ichthyofauna of the White Sea is primarily due to the peculiarity of the living conditions of animals; it is not for nothing that it is called a sea of ​​contrasts. By its nature, it is a harsh and cold sea. But in summer it becomes warm water. Boreal inhabitants are forced to adapt to existence in various temperature conditions, as well as conditions of long-term (up to 6 months) starvation, of course, sacrificing a lot. As a result, they differ in slower growth, smaller size and fertility, as well as a shorter life span from similar species inhabiting the Barents Sea, where seasonal changes in conditions occur gradually, without a sharp transition from winter to summer. This is clearly seen in the example of the White Sea cod, which is an ancient native of Atlantic Ocean. In the process of thousands of years of adaptation to difficult living conditions, she acquired a number of characteristic features, which sharply distinguish it from the Atlantic cod. The Belomorskaya is inferior to it in terms of life expectancy by 2 times, by body length by 3, and by weight by dozens of times. Average gain Atlantic cod have 16 times more bodies per year. She can breed for 16 years, and the White Sea - only 8 years. The fecundity of the latter is also much lower, so for the whole life it lays eggs almost 15 times less.

The Arctic inhabitants of the White Sea are incomparably best conditions. Low temperature water does not affect their vital activity. All of them breed in winter, and after that they begin to feed themselves.

The main commercial fish of the White Sea are herring, navaga, smelt, cod, flounder and whitefish. A special place is occupied by salmon. Until the mid-60s, it was caught 3-4 times more than on the Murmansk coast, and the total catch was one third of the world catch of this type of salmon. Now catches have dropped sharply. Human activity has significantly changed the ichthyofauna, unfortunately, not for the better. The introduction of new fishing gear, the improvement of vehicles has led to the undermining of previously numerous populations, such as Atlantic herring. Pollution of water bodies, regulation of river flows. the creation of artificial reservoirs, the construction of dams, the rafting of timber seriously affect fish stocks. Various measures for acclimatization - breeding of new species can have negative consequences. This can lead and has already led to the undermining of local populations, the disappearance of the most adapted to certain conditions of fish species.

Sharks. A rather primitive group of animals that has a number of specific differences from bony fish. So, for example, sharks do not have real bones, their skeleton is cartilaginous. The upper part of the caudal fin is larger than the lower. The skin is covered with a special - placoid - scales. The jaws of sharks are well armed with sharp teeth arranged in several rows.

Several types of sharks live in Arctic waters. Of these, it stands out for its size. giant shark, reaching 11-13 m. The herring shark is much smaller, as well as the widespread spiny katran shark, reaching a length of only 1 m. The latter species began to hunt in our century due to fish oil, which is extracted from the liver, and also began to be used for processing into fishmeal. Earlier, back in the last century, the basis of shark fishing was the polar shark, whose length exceeds 6 m and weighs about 1000 kg. Currently, this fishery has almost completely stopped.

To cartilaginous fish include stingrays, very peculiar marine animals. These are typically benthic organisms, which is clearly evidenced by their appearance: the body of the stingray is flat, as if flattened. In our region, there are stellate, arctic, smooth, shagreen and spiny rays.

The Herring family includes the most widespread commercial species, such as the Atlantic and Atlantic-Scandinavian herring. The biology of herring is very interesting. Upon reaching puberty (by 5-6 years), such fish form spawning herds. Depending on the time of spawning, eggs are deposited in a continuous layer on the bottom either near the coast or on ocean banks. The main spawning grounds for Murmansk herds are the coasts of Norway. Herring no longer returns to the Barents Sea. Hatched larvae during the first year of life form large clusters. The size of the larva is 0.5 cm, the size of an adult animal reaches 40 cm and the weight is 600 g. Usually, the herring is much smaller. In summer and autumn, the approach of herring to the northern shores of the Kola Peninsula is noted. In rich harvest years, the Atlantic herring enters the White Sea.

A variety of the Atlantic herring is the small White Sea herring, which in some years plays an important role in the fishery. Herring also includes sprat, etc.

Sigo family. One of the hard to define groups. It is believed that in Northern Europe inhabited by 6 species, which are divided into more than 50 subspecies and forms. Whitefish are related to another family - salmon fish. Common to both families is the presence of an adipose fin in both. But there are also differences: whitefish have larger scales, a smaller mouth. absence of teeth on the jaws and a deep notch on the caudal fin. The color of whitefish is silver-gray. They are widely distributed in both rivers and lakes.

In the Murmansk region, whitefish is the most important commercial fish. Forms a large number of groups - each large lake has more than one flock that differ in appearance, lifestyle, behavior. Some herds migrate. Whitefish feed on various small crustaceans. Spawning usually occurs in autumn, but timing may vary between groups. Caviar is deposited on pebbly shallows. Its further development before hatching takes 2 months.

The same family includes vendace, peled.

Salmon family. Members of this family are quite large. The body (except for the head) is completely covered with scales. All have an adipose fin that sits between the dorsal and caudal fins. The origin of this family is associated only with the northern hemisphere; they got into more southern water bodies due to acclimatization. Many species make forage migrations to the sea and thrive in cold waters. Because of the ability to live both in sea (salty) and fresh water and migration from rivers to lakes and seas, these fish are called anadromous. The most important type of anadromous - salmon.

Atlantic (noble) salmon. In the North of Russia, Atlantic salmon is called salmon. This is a large fish, reaching a length of 1.5 m. Individual specimens can weigh up to 30-40 kg. The salmon body is elongated, moderately laterally compressed, with a relatively thin caudal peduncle. Caudal fin in adult fish with a shallow notch. The coloration of Atlantic salmon changes at different stages of the life cycle. Juveniles have from 8 to 11 wide dark transverse stripes on the sides, between which small red spots are visible, hence the name parr. By the end of the river period of life, the juveniles change their coloration: the transverse striping disappears, and the body color from yellowish-greenish or olive becomes silvery. In salmon living in the sea, the body is silver-white below, the back is brown-green. On the surface of the body, especially above the lateral line, small X-shaped dark spots are scattered. With the approach of spawning, sexually mature fish begin to acquire mating attire (loose). They lose their silver color and become bronze or brown. Red and orange spots appear on the head and sides. Not only the appearance changes, but also the skeleton. In males, the front teeth increase, the snout and lower jaw lengthen and curve in a hook-like manner (sometimes similar changes are observed in older females). During this period, the fish stop eating.

Being a typical migratory fish, the Atlantic salmon spends part of its life in the sea, part in the river. On the Kola Peninsula in Lake Imandra salmon lives, the entire life cycle of which takes place in fresh water. Salmon from the rivers of the Barents and White Seas feed on the Norwegian Sea, where they keep close to the shore - at depths of no more than 120 m. They feed on capelin, gerbil, herring, smelt and other fish, as well as some crustaceans. Having lived in the sea from 1 to 3-4 years. adult individuals migrate (up to 1.5 thousand km long) to the rivers where they hatched. Here the salmon grown in the sea breeds.

Salmon spawning occurs in October - November, when the water temperature in the rivers drops to 9-7 ° C. For this, areas are selected with a current speed of 0.5 to 1.5 m / dc and depths of 0.2 to 1.5-2 m. and tail, it digs a depression 2-3 m long in the sandy-pebble soil, where it lays eggs, which are immediately inseminated by males. Then, with the help of her tail, she fills the eggs with gravel and pebbles, thus arranging a nest. Spawning of each female can last up to two weeks. During this time, she arranges several nests.

Most adult Atlantic salmon die after the first spawning. Part of the spawning spawners survive and come to spawn again. Individual specimens can survive even after the second spawning and come to the river for the third, and in exceptional cases - for the fourth time. The surviving spawned individuals (roller) sometimes roll into the sea soon after breeding, but more often remain in the river for the winter and leave in the spring after the ice breaks. At the same time, they begin to actively feed. interesting biological feature salmon is the presence of dwarf males in its population. Unlike ordinary anadromous fish, they never leave the rivers and become sexually mature already in the second year of life with a length of only about 10 cm. In appearance, dwarf males do not differ much from juveniles (parr), however, they participate in spawning along with ordinary males.

Embryos hatch in April-May. In the rivers, juveniles spend from 1 to 5 years, most often 2-4 years. It grows slowly during this period: before migrating to the sea, the average length of juveniles is 10-15 cm, and body weight does not exceed 20 g.

Despite the high fecundity of salmon (one female lays from 3 to 10 thousand eggs), the commercial return from the eggs spawned by the female is very low - only 0.04-0.12%, and 87-90% of the fry that left the nests die on the first the same year of life in the river, and less than 1% survive to go to sea.

Commercial salmon fishing was carried out in 18 rivers of the Kola Peninsula. However, due to irrational fishing, the number of many populations has significantly decreased, and fishing had to be stopped. So. As a result of hydroconstruction, the populations of the Teriberka and Voronya rivers have been lost. In the future, the loss of populations of Drozdovka is possible. Ivanovka and Iokangi. At present, only in some rivers of the peninsula salmon populations of commercial importance have been preserved (the rivers Var-zuga, Umba). The largest in the Barents Sea basin is the Pechora population, the average annual number of which in different periods ranged from 80 to 160 thousand. In the last decade, annual catches have decreased by 2 times. There are many reasons. Continuing mole rafting of timber on salmon rivers, the construction of various kinds of hydroelectric power stations. irrational fishing, poaching, pollution of water bodies with industrial waste - all together leads to a decrease in the stocks of this most valuable fish in our region.

Pink salmon. Work on acclimatization in the waters of the Barents and White Seas of Pacific salmon - pink salmon was started in 1956. Far East was delivered by aircraft to fish hatcheries in our region, where it was additionally incubated. For a number of years, the plants of the Northern Basin produced from 6 to 36 million juveniles. In addition, for several years at the Taibol plant, additional juveniles were obtained from caviar collected from local producers. In some years, pink salmon entered the rivers of the European North in large quantities. Such mass entries on the Kola Peninsula were noted in 1960. 1965. 1971. 1973. 1975 and 1977. After the importation of caviar was stopped in 1978, the number of pink salmon began to decline. AT last years single specimens enter the rivers of the Barents Sea basin.

Spawning of pink salmon in the rivers of the Murmansk region occurs in August - October when the water temperature in the river drops to 5 ° C and below. In sexually mature individuals, the nuptial attire begins to appear even in the sea, but it acquires its final form already at spawning grounds. The spawning of pink salmon is similar to the spawning of other salmon. The average fecundity of a female is 1.5 thousand eggs. After spawning, the producers die. The juveniles leave their nests the following year when the water temperature in the river is above 5°C and migrate to the sea almost immediately. In a year. having become sexually mature, pink salmon returns to the river to procreate. The entry of fish begins in May, reaches a maximum in July - August and continues until October.

Long-term work on acclimatization in the Barents and White Seas and fbushes did not give encouraging results. However, this type of salmon can be fully used as an object of mariculture. In this regard, in recent years, the development of methods for pasture rearing of pink salmon has begun on the White Sea. For these purposes, in 1984-^-1985. The import of pink salmon caviar from the Magadan region to the Onega fish hatchery was resumed, which was reconstructed specifically for the incubation of caviar of this species.

In recent years, for acclimatization has been used the new kind- steelhead salmon, one of the varieties of which is rainbow trout. This species was originally distributed in the rivers of the West Coast of North America, but then it began to be actively settled on other continents. Representatives of this species grow well, are more resistant to high temperatures, tolerate slight pollution of water bodies, so it is used for breeding in water bodies where heated water is discharged from nuclear power plants. For example, at the Kola nuclear power plant, such experiments had some success.

However, the release of new species into local water bodies is highly undesirable, since they can displace such valuable local species as, for example, brown trout. It lives in lakes, its weight can reach up to 4 kg. For spawning, it rises into rivers and streams with a fast current. The biology of brown trout is similar to that of its close relative, salmon. Brown trout has 2 main forms - passage and residential. It is extremely sensitive to water quality, does not tolerate water pollution at all.

In the rapids of most rivers of the Murmansk region, brook trout lives, smaller than brown trout, although both belong to the same species. The difference in size is due to their habitat and. hence the difference in nutrition and growth rates. Trout and brown trout differ in color only in adulthood, while juveniles are very similar.

Arctic char, or palia, a fish with very small scales, reaching large (up to 10 kg or more) sizes, should also be attributed to this species. Lake char is much smaller. Char is a valuable object of fishing, like other salmon. It is very sensitive to water quality, temperature regime, pollution chemicals, as well as acclimatizing species. In this regard, special methods of protecting char are needed to prevent its loss from the ichthyofauna of our water bodies.

The grayling (Kharpus family) is also sensitive to unfavorable factors. This species is widespread in the water bodies of the Murmansk region. The grayling is small in size, usually does not exceed 40 cm (rarely - up to 50 cm), weight - within 1-1.5 kg. This is a typical river fish that prefers clean clear water rich in oxygen. Grayling also lives in lakes. It feeds on insect larvae (caddisflies, mayflies), as well as mollusks, small crustaceans and adult insects that have fallen into the water, especially during the mass summer of mayflies and caddisflies.

Smelt family. Small relatives of noble salmon and brown trout. Very widespread. Many of them are typical sea ​​views, some go to fresh water for spawning, and a small part permanently lives there. Representatives of this family have dorsal and adipose fins, scales easily falling off. Freshwater smelt rarely exceeds 20 cm. The mouth is large, large teeth are located on the jaws. Freshly caught smelt smells like fresh cucumber. Spawning takes place in early spring, still under the ice. In addition to the fact that smelt is of commercial importance, it is also of great importance as an object of mass food for other fish species. Very sensitive to water pollution.

Capelin. This is a medium-sized schooling pelagic fish with a body length of up to 20-22 cm. It is found in the Arctic waters of the North Atlantic, including throughout the entire Barents Sea. Sometimes, during the years of large numbers, it also enters the White Sea. During the year, it makes regular migrations (foraging, wintering, spawning). Depending on the season, fish are concentrated in different parts of the sea area. In summer, during the feeding period, flocks of large sexually mature capelin live in the northeastern regions of the sea; smaller immature (at the age of 1-2 years) accumulates in the central regions. In September - October, with the seasonal cooling of the Barents Sea waters, the wintering migration of sexually mature capelin begins: from the feeding areas, the fish moves to the south and south-west. In the initial period of wintering in the central regions of the Barents Sea, accumulations of individuals of various age groups- here there is a mixing of sexually mature and immature fish. Later, separation occurs: large individuals (14-20 cm long) migrate to the southern regions for spawning, and immature capelin remains in wintering areas (north of 74 ° 30 "N. Lat.).

The main spawning of the Barents Sea capelin occurs most often from February to May in the regions of Finmarken and on the Murmansk coast at depths from 12 to 280 m. Females spawn slightly sticky eggs right on the bottom - on sand or fine gravel. In the period from April to June, there is a massive hatching of larvae, which are carried from the spawning areas by the Murmansk and Novaya Zemlya currents in the eastern and northeastern directions. In late August - early September, juvenile capelin (its length at this time is 3-4 cm) spreads in the central part of the Barents Sea (up to 76-77 ° N). and to the east it reaches the shores of Novaya Zemlya. In October-November, capelin underyearlings, mixing with sexually mature fish that came from the north from feeding places, create wintering aggregations.

Capelin is characterized by a rapid growth rate in the initial period of life. By the end of the first year, the average length of the fish is 10-12 cm. The maximum length (20-22 cm) of the Barents Sea capelin reaches the age of 4 years. The age limit for males is 7 years, for females - 6. Capelin is a typical plankton feeder.

Its main food is mass species of meso- and macroplankton (calanuses, euphausiids, hyperiids, chstognats). In general, capelin feeds on any available food. Following food, it makes vertical migrations, the daily rhythm of which is most pronounced in March - April: at sunrise, capelin descends into the bottom layers of the sea, and at sunset rises to the upper horizons. In summer, under polar day conditions, although vertical migrations are observed, they do not have a clear diurnal rhythm.

In recent years, capelin stocks have been severely undermined, mainly due to the irrational method of fishing - deep-sea trawls. Therefore, it was decided to stop fishing for several years to restore capelin stocks.

Cod family. Exclusively marine fish (except for one species). They have 2-3 dorsal fins and 1-2 - anal, on the chin there is a mustache, the scales are small. Distinctive feature these fish is the absence of spines on all fins. About 30 species live in European waters, the most important of which is cod, which is very widespread. Stays in packs. It feeds on various crustaceans, worms, fish, especially small species such as gerbil and capelin. Adult fish migrate as different races of cod spawn on different depths and in different areas.

Cod has long been the most important commercial species. If earlier there were rather large specimens - up to 90 kg, then in recent years cod is much smaller - an average of about 10 kg or less. The biology of cod is well understood, but there are still many problems. The most important of them is the determination of the size of the fish catch, the correct conduct of fishing, since the number of cod in the Barents Sea basin turned out to be severely undermined.

Other commercial marine fish include sea bass, haddock, halibut and catfish. Among the representatives of the freshwater fauna, in addition to the species already mentioned, it should be noted pike and river perch, which are found in many reservoirs and are well known to amateur fishermen.

ending short review class of fish, we note that the ichthyofauna of the Murmansk region is rich and diverse. Since ancient times, fish have been fished in the seas, lakes and rivers in the Kola North. The most important commercial species were and still are cod, halibut, and salmon. Excessive fishing, irrational fishing methods, severe environmental pollution have drastically reduced fish stocks. It is no coincidence that in recent years the fishing fleet has been fishing far beyond our territorial waters. At the end of the 1980s, the question arose of introducing a ban on fishing in the Barents Sea. Several fish hatcheries were built, 3 fishery reserves were organized on the rivers Note, Ponoye and Varzuga, and the fight against poaching and pollution of water bodies is being carried out. However, this is clearly not enough and more decisive measures are required to prevent the impoverishment of the composition of the ichthyofauna and the number of populations of especially valuable species.