Analysis of saffron cod catches in the Bering Sea reveals ice conditions impacted fishing yields and biological characteristics.
The biological state of spawning saffron cod from winter-spring venter catches obtained from 2005 to 2012 was analyzed. Fishing conditions and ice conditions in the Ossora Bay of the Karaginsky District were assessed. The length of fish in venter catches was within 14–48 cm. From 2005 to 2024, the catch varied from 0 to 1133,6 tons with an average value of 570 tons. Over the past five years (2020–2024), the average catch of saffron cod was 787,4 tons. It was shown that the reason for the incomplete catch of saffron cod in 2020–2024 is the unfavorable ice conditions for setting venter nets that developed against the background of abnormally «warm» years, which resulted in a significant reduction in the possible period for fishing this species. In the early 2000s, venter net fishing began in mid-December and continued until the end of April, which was facilitated by increased ice formation in the fishing area.
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Novikova et al. (2025) studied this question.