Fishes of the Barents Sea. Nature of the Murmansk region. What gear, bait, bait, bait are used

  • Jump to: Natural Areas of the Earth

Barents Sea

The water area of ​​the Barents Sea is 1400 thousand km2, the volume of water is 332 thousand km3. Its maximum depth is 600 m, the average depth is about 200 m. For the most part, the Barents Sea is located on a plateau with depths of less than 200 m, and depths of more than 500 m are only in a trench protruding from the west. In the eastern shallow water there are several bottom uplifts - “cans”. From the west, waters of the warm Atlantic current penetrate into the sea with a water temperature of 4-12 ° C, salinity of 34.8-35.2 ppm, so the southwestern part of the sea does not freeze in winter. The waters of the western part of the sea are warmed to the bottom, however, in the middle and eastern parts of the sea, 7/8 of the water column is with negative temperatures. In one day, about 150 km3 of warm Atlantic water penetrates into the Barents Sea between Cape North Cape and Bear Island, of which 2/3 then turn first to the north and then back to the west. Only an insignificant part of them enters the Kara Sea through the Kara Gates.

The surface temperature of the water in the Barents Sea in winter (February) is 3-5°, in summer it rises. At the junction of warm and cold water masses, powerful vertical circulation occurs and the so-called “polar fronts” are formed, where, as a result of good aeration of the deep layers and the removal of biogenic elements to the surface, an increased development of plankton and benthos occurs, and nekton hydrobionts accumulate - objects of fishing. In the Barents Sea, the species composition of fish (ichthyofauna) includes 150 species from 41 families. Three ecological groups of species can be distinguished here: 1) boreal (temperate warm water), 2) moderate cold water, and 3) arctic.

There are about 17 commercial fish species, most of them are boreal, for example, Atlantic herring, salmon, cod, haddock, saithe, sea bass, halibut. It is these species that account for up to 80% of the total fish catch in the Barents Sea. They breed, as a rule, off the coast of Norway, and their juveniles feed directly in the Barents Sea. Arctic fish (polar shark, small-vertebral herring, navaga, black halibut, polar flounder, smelt) are distributed mainly in the eastern, colder part of the Barents Sea and in the White Sea. Their commercial value is relatively small.

Moderately cold-water fish, such as capelin, stingrays, catfish, etc., have slightly more weight than Arctic fish in local fisheries. However, only six species play the main role in the fishery, which account for 95% of the total catch in the reservoir: cod, haddock, polar cod, sea ​​bass, herring and capelin.

The average fish productivity in the Barents Sea is about 4.5 kg/ha (about four times higher than in the White Sea). At the end of the 70s of this century, the catches in the Barents Sea were maximum and reached almost 0.9 million tons, but later they were significantly reduced as a result of excessive “pressure” of fishing and low yields of generations of such fish as capelin, herring, cod, haddock, sea bass, etc. The ratio of species in catches also changed: for example, if before 1976 the basis of the catch of the USSR was cod and sea bass valuable in nutrition, then after 1977 capelin became the basis of catches (70-90% of catches ). Later, capelin stocks also dropped sharply, which caused an indirect “hit” to cod, since capelin is the main food for cod. In addition, during capelin fishing with small-mesh fishing gear, juveniles of other valuable fish species were caught in large numbers. As a result of all this, the Barents Sea has lost its former great economic importance for us, but after the restoration of stocks of valuable species, this value, presumably, will be restored.

BARENTS SEA

The sea is within the continental shelf, and therefore relatively shallow. The average depth is 229 m, the maximum is 600 m. Depths over 400 m make up only 3% of the area, and shallow water with depths up to 200 m - 48%. The bottom has a very complex relief: hills and banks alternate with underwater valleys and depressions. The Barents Sea shelf is the widest in the world. It stretches from south to north for 700 miles.

The system of permanent currents in the Barents Sea is formed under the influence of many factors. The main ones are the constant inflow of warm Atlantic waters, water exchange with neighboring seas and the complex bottom topography.

The heat content of the water masses of the Barents Sea is determined mainly by the inflow of warm Atlantic waters, solar heating and heat loss in the autumn-winter period. It changes from year to year. This is due to pulsations of the North Cape current and the degree of summer heating. With the weakening of these processes, the pressure of water masses from the north increases, which adversely affects the distribution and concentration of bottom fish in shallow waters of the southern part of the Barents Sea.

Having many features of the Arctic seas, the Barents Sea is closely connected with the North Atlantic Ocean. The so-called Icelandic low and the Arctic region of high atmospheric pressure interact here. The North Atlantic Current and its branches have a significant impact on the climate. This geographical position determined the complexity of the climate and hydrological regime of the Barents Sea.

The climate of the sea, in comparison with other seas of the Arctic, is characterized by mild winters, a large amount of precipitation and relatively high air temperatures in summer. In the coldest month of the year - February - the air temperature averages -25° in the north of the sea and -5° in the southwest. In August, the warmest month, the average air temperature is 0° in the north and +10° in the southwest.

In winter, northern winds with a force of 10–11 m/s prevail, in summer the direction of the winds is not constant, and their strength is about 2 times lower. In the Barents Sea, there are frequent fogs, snow loads (even in June) and increased cloudiness.

Coastal waters are rich in various living organisms that serve as food for fish. Thickets of green, red and especially brown algae are significant, among which ascophyllum, a number of species of fucus and kelp stand out.

The ichthyofauna of the Barents Sea includes 114 species of fish: marine, anadromous and found only in desalinated river spaces. They are subdivided into arctic, warm-water-arctic and warm-water. The arctic include - navaga, polar cod, blue and spotted catfish, black halibut; to warm-water-Arctic - cod, haddock, striped catfish, halibut, flounder, ruff, capelin; to warm-water - blue whiting, herring, pollock, sea flounder, ruff, etc.

In terms of the number of species, the families of cod (19), flounder (9), salmon (7) and goby (12) are the richest.

The Barents Sea is characterized by high and low tides, the height of which is 4 m. Thanks to them, there are strong currents in narrow bays - bays. At high tide, whole flocks of fish - cod, saithe, flounder, haddock and others - rush to the shore in search of food. This is the most favorable time for fishing with sports and amateur gear. Fishing at depths is not very accessible due to harsh conditions.

About some fish

Cod. Among the bottom fish of the Barents Sea, cod is the most important species. Breeds off the northwestern coast of Norway, fattening in a wide area of ​​the southern part of the Barents Sea and the Medvezhinsky-Spitsbergen region.

The body of cod, like other cod species, is more or less elongated, covered with small cycloid scales. Fins without spines, with segmented rays. Lateral line white. The upper jaw strongly protrudes forward. The barbel on the chin is well developed. The color varies greatly from dark, ash gray to greenish gray and red with spots of dark, gray-brown, yellow and other colors.

The approach of cod to spawning grounds usually begins in the second half of February and ends in early May. The largest and oldest cod are the first to appear on the spawning grounds. Caviar is floating.

In the first years of life, cod makes only seasonal movements in feeding areas - coastal shallow waters. At the age of 3–4 years, cod gathers in large shoals, and at the age of 4–5 years it already moves over considerable distances.

In feeding areas and during migrations, cod stays not only at the bottom, but also in the water column.

In summer, cod lives on the banks, adhering to the 200-meter isobath. In winter, it usually rolls to great depths.

In spring, large numbers of cod enter the southern part of the Barents Sea from the west and move east as the water warms up. Here, on the banks, she feeds intensively during the summer and, with the onset of winter cooling, begins her return migrations to the west, to spawning grounds off the coast of Norway. Schools of immature cod remain for the winter in the Barents Sea. The paths of feeding migrations coincide mainly with the direction of the currents. In spring and autumn, cod makes daily vertical migrations.

Cod grows quickly. The age limit for cod should be 22 years. Individual cod specimens may live longer. So, in July 1945, cod was caught in the Barents Sea at the age of 24 years, 169 cm long, weighing 40 kg.

The basis of food is capelin, polar cod, own juveniles and juveniles of other fish, flounder-ruff, lumpenus, gerbil and other fish. An important role in nutrition is played by kapshak and shrimp.

Salmon. It breeds in the rivers of the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and the coast of the Arkhangelsk Region, washed by the White and Barents Seas. The female salmon digs nests in the pebble soil of the river, lays eggs there, which is immediately fertilized by males, and fills the nest with pebbles. After spawning, some of the spawned fish die, some overwinter in the river, and after the ice breaks up and is removed from the river, it rolls into the sea. Some individuals after feeding in the Barents, Norwegian and White Seas return to their native rivers for repeated spawning.

Young salmon, after hatching from eggs and emerging from pebble nests, grow and develop in the river for up to three or four years, after which they roll into the sea and go to feeding areas located in the Barents and Norwegian Seas.

Salmon feeding in the sea lasts from one to three or even more years. The size and weight of the fish going to the rivers depends on the feeding time. After a year of fattening in the sea, salmon (called tinda) weighs 2–2.5 kg, after two years - 3–3.6 kg. Fish that have been fattening in the sea for more than three years reach a weight of 9–12 kg, and some specimens even reach 40 kg. But such giants are rare.

Sport fishing for salmon is allowed only on a few rivers flowing into the Barents and White Seas. Among them on the Kola Peninsula are the rivers Titovka, Belousikha, Voronya, Kuzreka and Kanda. Salmon fishing is carried out under licenses purchased for a fee in the Murmansk Regional Society of Hunters and Fishermen and in the Murman Fish Farm.

Brown trout. The closest relative of salmon, no less interesting object of sport fishing. Its numbers have declined markedly in recent years. The trout has a residential lake form and anadromous. At a certain age, the latter slides into the sea and feeds there, like salmon, but unlike salmon, it does not go far, it stays close to its native river. The living lake trout reaches a weight of 2 kg or more, while the anadromous trout also gains more weight.

There is no specialized sea fishing for brown trout, but it can be caught in the mouths of those rivers that are allocated for salmon sport fishing under a license issued for salmon fishing.

Char. In addition to salmon and brown trout, anadromous char, the most cold-loving form of salmon fish, can be an object of sport fishing in the Barents Sea basin. The char breeds in the rivers of the Kola Peninsula, the north of the Arkhangelsk region, Novaya Zemlya, flowing into the Barents and Kara Seas, and feeds in the sea before coming to the rivers to spawn. The char reaches a weight of 2–3 kg. It is caught in the same way as salmon and trout, in the estuarine sections of the rivers when moving from the sea to the rivers for feeding.

From the book Sea Fishing author Fetinov Nikolai Petrovich

THE BALTIC SEA The Baltic is the freshest of all the seas surrounding the Soviet Union. To the north and northeast, the degree of salinity decreases, and in the Gulf of Riga, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia it is only 2–3 ‰. Fresh water brought to the Baltic Sea by many

From the book First Around the World author

BLACK SEA Our most popular sea is the Black Sea. The average depth is 1300 m, the maximum is 2258 m, and depths exceeding 2 km occupy 42% of the sea area. It is not surprising, therefore, that in most cases the depth near the coast increases rapidly. The most shallow

From the book First Around the World [with illustrations] author Khoynovskaya-Liskevich Kristina

SEA OF AZOV Average depth - 8 m, maximum - 14 m. Seashores, as a rule, shallow, slightly indented. Of the bays, the most extensive is Sivash (Rotten Sea) - very shallow (maximum depth barely exceeds 3 m), excessively salty - up to 150 ‰ and above. Salinity has been increasing since

From the book The ABC of spearfishing [For beginners... and not so] author Lagutin Andrey

THE CASPIAN SEA The northern part of the Caspian is very shallow. Here, over a large area, the depth does not exceed 10 m. In the middle and especially in the southern parts of the sea (they are separated by a shallow at the latitude of the Apsheron Peninsula), there are significant depths - up to 1 km. Essential

From the book Spearfishing Tutorial on breath holding by Bardi Marco

THE ARAL SEA The Aral Sea, one of the largest continental water bodies in our country, is located in the Turan lowland. At present, due to the regulation of the flow of the Amudarya and Syrdarya, the area of ​​the sea is rapidly decreasing. It has dwindled in recent years

From the book Homo aquaticus author Chernov Alexander Alekseevich

SEA OF JAPANESE The southern coast of the Far East of our country is washed by the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan. The movement of water within the sea is determined by two currents: the warm Tsushima, washing the shores of Japan, and the cold Primorsky, passing south along the coast of the Primorsky Territory. Here

From the book The Ark for Robinson [All about the life of a sea nomad] author Newmeyer Kenneth

THE SEA OF OKHOTSK Average depth is 859 m, maximum depth is 3846 m. Lots of bays and coves. The largest islands: Kuril, Sakhalin, Shantar. The climate is harsh. Ice holds the sea 7-8 months a year. Not uncommon in summer

From the author's book

WHITE SEA It got its name from the ice cover. For more than half a year, it fetters the sea waters of this small semi-enclosed reservoir near the Arctic Circle. By its nature, the White Sea is arctic, harsh and cold. The average depth is about 60 m, the greatest

From the author's book

From the author's book

In the Caribbean, or a week without sleep The first day of sailing went well. A fresh trade wind was blowing, the excitement was moderate, in the evening there was a communication session with Gdynia-Radio, which ended with a phone call home. I was finally able to talk to my husband. Audibility turned out to be

From the author's book

The Black Sea Compared to the Mediterranean, and indeed to all other seas and oceans, the Black Sea is the least rich in life. Indeed, starting from a depth of 200 m, and in some places even less, almost nothing living is found here! In the Black Sea water at great depths, a large amount of

From the author's book

The Mediterranean Sea Since time immemorial, the gentle waters of the Mediterranean Sea have been plied by military and merchant ships, people have built cities and towns on its shores, and fishermen have been fishing. Transparent Mediterranean water beckons to look under its crystal waves! Not

From the author's book

Planning out to sea It is important to emphasize once again that success in spearfishing is achieved, first of all, with the help of extensive knowledge and experience, improving diving techniques, and not advanced equipment. The most fortunate have congenital

From the author's book

Carnation in the Sea In the winter of 1966/67, aquanauts, not forgetting about the preparation for the next expedition to the south, continued their research on the Blue Lakes, near Leningrad. They studied the formation and development of ice cover, heat exchange between the surface of lakes and the atmosphere, transparency,

From the author's book

Grains of sand in the sea ... The condition of the Chernomor did not inspire fear. Having healed the scratches and bruises received after another storm thrashing, he was preparing for a new voyage under water. The turn of geologists is coming. Today they go to the bottom of the Blue Bay. - Prepare to dive! -

About the Barents Sea.
This marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean washes the Russian and Norwegian coasts. Its water area is spread within the continental shallows, between the northern coast of Europe and three archipelagos - Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.
The area of ​​the sea exceeds 1400 thousand sq. km, the average depth is about 200 m, the maximum is 600 meters. The large rivers feeding the sea are Pechora and Indiga.

The largest island is Kolguev.
In the west it borders on the Norwegian Sea, in the south - on the White Sea, in the east - on the Kara Sea, in the north - on the Arctic Ocean Basin.
BARENTS SEA - marginal sea North. Arctic ca. between the northern coast of Europe and Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Nov. Earth. 1424 thousand km². Located on the shelf; the depth is mainly from 360 to 400 m (the largest is 600 m). Large. Kolguev. ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
BARENTS SEA - BARENTS SEA, marginal sea of ​​the Arctic approx. between the sowing coast of Europe and the islands of Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. 1424 tons km2. Located on the shelf: deep. preim. from 360 to 400 m (max. 600 m). Large island Kolguev. ... ... Russian history
BARENTS SEA - the Arctic Ocean, between the northern coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula and the islands of Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. The area is 1424 thousand km2, the depth is up to 600 m. The large island of Kolguev. The Pechora River flows in ... Modern Encyclopedia
Sigo family. One of the hard to define groups. It is believed that 6 species inhabit Northern Europe, 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 herd, which 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
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 (salt) 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 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 had several nests.
Most adult Atlantic salmon die after the first spawning. Part of the spawning spawners survive and come to spawn again. Separate individuals 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. An interesting biological feature of 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 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 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. Caviar from the 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. In recent years, single specimens have entered 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 the 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. emerges from the nests the next year when the water temperature in the river is above 5 ° C and almost immediately migrates to the sea. 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 importation 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, a new species has been used for acclimatization - steelhead salmon, one of whose varieties 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. 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 highly sensitive to water quality, temperature, chemical pollution, and 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 (caddis flies, 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 typically marine species, some go to fresh water for spawning, and a small part is permanently 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 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 are observed - 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 mass hatching of larvae, which are carried from the spawning areas by the Murmansk and Novaya Zemlya currents in the east and northeast 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 ° latitude). 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 fins, there is a mustache on the chin, and small scales. A distinctive feature of 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 at 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, i.e. 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.
Concluding a brief review of the class of fish, we note that the ichthyofauna of the Murmansk region is rich and diverse. For a long time in the seas, lakes and rivers in the Kola North, fish of the Barents Sea have been fishing for fish. 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. In the late 1980s, the question arose of introducing fish into 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.
2009-2010 Alexander Valiullin
Severomorsky House of Children's Creativity

BARENTS SEA.

Geographic location. Bottom relief.

The Barents Sea is bounded from the north by the archipelagos of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, from the west by Medvezhy Island, from the east by Novaya Zemlya, and from the south by the mainland (from Cape North Cape to Yugorsky shar). In its configuration, it resembles a rhombus, the meridional axis of which is 1300-1400 km, and the latitudinal axis is 1100-1200 km.

The area of ​​the Barents Sea is estimated at 1360 thousand km 2. The sea lies within the continental shelf and is therefore comparatively shallow. The greatest depth of the sea is 548 m. This depth is located in the western part of the sea, between meridians 20 and 21°. As you move east, the depths decrease. The average depth of the sea is 199.3 m.

The Barents Sea is a part of the European continent, which in a relatively late era sank and was flooded with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Traces of river valleys are still preserved in the outlines of the bottom. This is also proved by relatively shallow depths, a flat, slightly hilly bottom topography (banks), the presence of long and wide valleys (troughs), and the geological community of insular rocks with continental rocks limiting this sea.

The deepest trough is located between the mainland and Bear Island. Depths here reach 500 m. The second trough runs between Bear Islands and Svalbard. There is less depth here. The third trough is located between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land and the fourth - between Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. In the middle of the sea there is, in addition, a vast depression with a depth of about 400 m.

Shallow waters - the central highland, the Perseus highland, the Spitsbergen Bank, the Novaya Zemlya shallow water, the Kaninsko-Kolguev shallow water, the Murmansk shallow water, the Gusinaya Bank - are separated by gutters and depressions. Depths in shallow waters do not exceed 200 m, usually ranging from 100 to 200 m. Shallow waters and banks are the main fishing areas in the Barents Sea.

Of the rivers flowing into the Barents Sea, the most significant is. Smaller rivers are , , (Motovsky Bay), , (Kola Bay), Indiga, , Chesha and others ()

Shores and soil.

The soils of the Barents Sea are mainly not of oceanic, but of terrigenous origin - sands, silty sands, sandy silts. In addition, there are soils of autochthonous origin in the Barents Sea. In the western part of the Barents Sea, the soils are dense, in the southwestern part spiculose silt has been deposited, in the southeastern part there are yellow soils - the result of the removal of rivers, in the northern part - brown soils containing a lot of iron and manganese.

The shores of the Barents Sea in the southwestern part of the fiord type are high, steep, composed of ancient crystalline rocks. These are the shores of Finnmarken in Norway. The Murmansk coasts of Russia are also of the fiord type. From Cape Kanin Nos to the east, the shores are sloping and low.

Of the bays, the largest are Motovsky, Kola, from the lips - Teriberskaya, Czech with an inner, shallower Indiga lip.

Hydrology.

For the Barents Sea, water exchange with the ocean is of great importance. The waters of the Gulf Stream, emerging from the Gulf of Mexico, give rise to a warm Atlantic current, whose branches penetrate into the Norwegian and Barents Seas. On the border of the Barents Sea, south of the Medvezheostrovsky bank, the Atlantic Current will split into Svalbard and North Cape branches. The Svalbard branch, which is more powerful, goes further in the form of a deep current (covered with Arctic water) to the polar basin, where it forms a warm intermediate layer. This layer was first discovered by Nansen and explored by the Papaninites during their drift on an ice floe in 1937.

The waters of the North Cape branch enter the Barents Sea between Bear Island and the North Cape. This branch, due to the features of the bottom topography, breaks up into 4 jets. Of particular importance are the two southern jets, which affect the regime of the waters of the southern part of the sea. The coastal, Murmansk, branch runs along the banks of the Murman, heading from the North Cape to the Kanin Peninsula. The second branch passes to the north and its waters reach Novaya Zemlya. Such a scheme of flows was established by N. M. Knipovich in 1906. Later, in the thirties, some additions were made to this scheme by other Russian researchers that did not change the essence of the scheme established by N. M. Knipovich.

Warm (4-12°) and at the same time more saline (34.8-35.2 ‰) Atlantic waters, entering the Barents Sea and meeting with local colder and less saline waters, form the so-called polar front. When waters of different physical composition meet, the Atlantic waters cool and sink. Powerful vertical circulation causes abundant aeration of deep waters and removal of nutrient organic substances to the surface layers. As a result, biological productivity in the polar front is especially high.

According to L. A. Zenkevich, the biomass of benthos reaches 600-1000 g per 1 m 2 in these areas, decreasing outside these areas to 20-50 g per 1 m 2.

The Barents Sea, being a transitional between the Norwegian - north-boreal and Kara - Arctic seas, is characterized by a corresponding temperature: in the western part, even in winter, the water temperature is positive from the surface to the bottom. In the middle part of the northern half of the sea, even in summer, only a thin surface layer warms up, and deeper water has a negative temperature. In the southern half of the middle part, at a depth of 200-250 m, the water warms up in summer to 1.5-2.0°C. In the northeastern part of the sea, the water temperature remains low in summer and near the surface. Off the coast of Murman, the surface temperature in August, during the period of maximum warming, reaches 12° and even somewhat more. The lowest temperature is in the Barents Sea at a depth of 50-75 m.

The northern and eastern parts of the sea are covered with ice for a significant part of the year. The southwestern part does not freeze, as a result of which the Murmansk coast is accessible for ships in winter.

The summer ice boundary usually runs along the line Svalbard - the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya, but in different years this line either moves north, or, on the contrary, passes south.

Ichthyofauna. Industrial fishing.

In 1921, while trawling in the Barents Sea, a member of the Northern Scientific and Fishing Expedition, E.K. Suvorov, for the first time noted the warming of the Barents Sea. It affected the distribution of ice and the area of ​​ice cover. According to N. N. Zubov, the area of ​​ice cover decreased in 1921-1931. by 20% compared to 1901-1906. Warming also affected the distribution of aquatic organisms. Cod began to appear off the coast of Novaya Zemlya. For the first time, significant concentrations of commercial size cod were discovered by V.K. Soldatov in 1921 at 69°31′ north latitude and 57°21° east longitude, that is, far to the east, where this fish had not yet been discovered by anyone. Cod was noted even in the Kara Sea. Mackerel pike (Scomberesox saurus) is a southern fish. Previously, this fish did not come east of the North Cape, and in 1937 it was found off the coast of Novaya Zemlya. In eastern Murman, a perch-like brahma (Brama rayi) has recently been discovered.

In terms of the diversity of the animal population, the Barents Sea is the richest in the European part of Russia. It contains about 2500 species, not counting the protozoa. There are 113 species of fish here. The entire animal population of the Barents Sea is divided into three zoogeographic groups: arctic, boreal or boreal-arctic and warm-water. The Arctic group, living at a temperature not higher than 2-3 °, includes some mollusks, in particular joldia (Joldia arctica), many echinoderms and about 20 species of polar cod fish, saffron cod, polar flounder, some eelpouts, etc.

The boreal-arctic group, associated with warm currents, includes some mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, and most commercial fish - cod, haddock, saithe, herring, sea bass, sea flounder, etc.

The warm-water group includes mackerel (mackerel), whiting (Odontogadus merlangus), and Argentina (Argentina silus).

In terms of biological productivity, the Barents Sea is the most productive sea in the Arctic Basin. In this regard, a huge number of fish from the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean come here for feeding in the summer.

The richest were the areas near the Medvezheostrovsky Bank, in the strip between the 35th and 40th meridians, the Kanina Nos area and the area to the west and south of Novaya Zemlya. These areas coincide with the polar front lines. The unproductive areas are the northern, northeastern and western.

Of the 113 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 97 are marine, 13 are anadromous and 3 are aquatic (living in both fresh and sea water). Among marine fish, about half are boreal-arctic, about 20 species are arctic. The rest of the marine fish species are random aliens from temperate and even tropical seas. Over 40% of all fish species are found only in the western part of the sea. As you move eastward, the number of fish species noticeably decreases and in the eastern part it is approximately 50% of the total number for the Barents Sea.

Especially abundant in the Barents Sea are cod (12 species), flatfish (11 species), eelpouts (13 species), gobies (Cottidae) (10 species). Salmonids in the Barents Sea basin are represented by eight species.

About 20 species of fish are used by fishery, and even then not to the full extent. These types include the following:

1. Cod (Gadus morhua).

2. Murmansk herring (Clupea harengus).

3. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus).

4. Sea bass: golden (Sebastes marinus), beaked (Sebastes mentella), small (Sebastes viviparus).

5. Saithe (Pollachius virens).

6. Capelin (Mallotus villosus).

7. Catfish: spotted Anarhichas minor, striped Anarhichas lupus, blue An. latifrons.

8. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida).

9. Navaga (Eleginus navaga).

10. Salmon (Salmo salar).

11. Char (Salvelinus alpinus).

12. Flounders: sea flounder (Pleuronectes platessa), rough flounder (Limanda limanda), river flounder (Pleuronectes flesus septentrionalis), ruff flounder (Hippoglossoides platessoides).

13. Halibut: white-barked (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and black halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides).

14. Czech-Pechora herring (Clupea harengus pallasi suworowi).

15. Gerbil (Ammodytis hexapterus marinus).

16. Sharks: polar (Somniosus microcephalus), prickly (Squalus acanthias).

17. Star ray (Raja radiata).

The main commercial fish of the Barents Sea: cod, herring, haddock, sea bass.

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: