Pacific herring, far eastern herring

Pacific Herring (Far East)

  Pacific herring (Far Eastern) - Clupea harengus palasi, is one of the geographic races of the oceanic herring species and belongs to the herring family (Clupeidae).

Pacific herring is spread along the Asian coast from the Korean Peninsula (36 ° 40 "N) to the mouth of the Lena River. Along the American coast from the Beaufort Sea, Bering Strait to San Diego Bay (California).

Herring is a schooling, pelagic fish with a swim bladder. It reaches a length of 50 cm, weight 890 g. About

forms a number of local herds, differing mainly in growth rate, time of onset of puberty, terms and areas of spawning and fertility. Compared with other forms (races) of oceanic herring, it has the earliest maturity (some individuals mature at the age of 2+) and the most rapid growth.

Habitat

It is subdivided into a number of large and small herds, in Asian waters, according to ecological features, “sea” and “lake” herrings are distinguished. The "lake" herring have a short life cycle, small size and weight, early puberty, spawn in desalinated waters, lead a coastal lifestyle and do not make extended migrations.

Pacific herring, depending on geographical distribution, ripens at different ages and at different linear sizes. For herring of the southern areals, mainly rapid maturation is typical, most often at the age of 3 years. Late maturity is characteristic of the northern herds of the Okhotsk and Bering seas; the exception is the herring from the East Bering Sea.

In Pacific herring, there are three types of relationships between growth rate and puberty. Herring of Peter the Great Bay and Sakhalin-Hokkaid herds are characterized by rapid growth and accelerated ripening. these herds have good conditions  for feeding, as evidenced by a high coefficient of fatness (1.2-1.3). Significant fat accumulation, increased exchange conditions allow the body not only to accelerate the maturation of genital products, but also to ensure rapid linear growth. The feeding of these herds ends in August-September.

Northern herds (Okhotsk, Gizhiginsko-Kamchatka, Korfo-Karaginskoe) are characterized by slow growth and late maturation, as they have the worst conditions of feeding and food security. The coefficient of fatness is low (1.0-1.15). Despite low indicators of fatness, herring feeding ends in September - August, since the number of all three herds is relatively high and faster maturation of individuals is not required.

Of particular interest is the third group of herring - the most precocious and the most tough growing. Most often, such populations are very small (Pribilovskaya, Dekastrinskaya). The earlier maturation of the southern and northern (Pribylovskaya) populations is achieved in various ways.

Southern populations inhabit the coastal waters of Sakhalin: Dekastrinskaya - in the northern part of the Tatar Strait; South Okhotsk - off the eastern coast of Sakhalin, feeding mainly in the Terpeniya Bay. The food availability of these herds is sufficient to create for the required level of fat accumulation by the end of August (1.09-1.2). The necessary security at elevated exchange conditions (feeding at higher temperatures than in the north) leads to an earlier onset of puberty.

Pribilovskaya herring in the summer period is poorly supplied with food, despite the huge water area of ​​the shelf of the eastern part of the Bering Sea. In this regard, the herring extends the feeding period until November-December, as evidenced by the coefficient of fatness in the traditional wintering area (between Father St. Matthew and Pribilof) begins to appear from October-November. Extension of feeding time is an example of an organism's adaptation to earlier maturation.

Sizes, puberty, spawning areas

Pacific herring spawn in the coastal zone, mainly in spring, in the littoral zone, from the water edge to 8-10 m. Along the coast of South Sakhalin and in Peter the Great Bay, reproduction lasts from March to May. In Kamchatka, herring has been spawning since mid-May, in the Bering Sea, since June. Fecundity ranges from 10 thousand to 134 thousand eggs. Spawning one-time. Adhesive caviar is attached to the underwater substrate (stones, algae). In areas of large fluctuations in sea level (Penzhinskaya and Gizhiginskaya lips) during storms in the mass is thrown to the shore, which is the reason for its increased death. Caviar develops with large fluctuations in water temperature (from minus to 10-12 ° C) and salinity (from 2 to 34%). At a negative temperature, caviar is deposited at a depth of 8-10 m. Often the herring to spawn comes to the mouths of rivers. The incubation period, depending on the water temperature at the spawning grounds, lasts from 15 to 50 days. After leaving the calf, the fry and juveniles depart from the shore, but are kept separate from adult fish.

During spawning, there are several approaches to fish that differ in their age composition. At first, the older-age groups spawn, then the middle ones and by the end of the spawning run, the first spawning individuals are suitable. This periodicity is especially clearly seen in the herring of Peter the Great Bay. After spawning, mature fish also moves away from spawning grounds and moves along separate shoals along individual shoals, intensively feeding. As the water warms up during the feeding period, the herring sinks to great depths. The object of feeding is small crustaceans (mainly kolyanus). The greatest intensity of nutrition is observed in the summer, from November to spring it decreases sharply.

Herring is usually referred to the herring family. As a rule, it lives in the northern regions of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. It has a very fat and delicious meat, enjoys great demand in stores, which makes it very valuable in the fishing industry. The photo shows one of the most successful dishes of herring: smoked fish.

Appearance and varieties

As a rule, the maximum duration of herring is up to 25 years. Average individuals have a body length of up to 35 centimeters: the photo shows that they do not claim the title of the largest fish. However, some individuals can grow in length over 40– centimeters. To date, extremely rare long-livers among this fish. This is due to the fact that in large quantities this fish is exterminated by predators and fishing. But in the 30s of the XX century it was very often possible to meet a long-liver.

In nature, there are many varieties of this fish, depending on the habitat. The most common among them are the Atlantic (in the photo below is the first) and the Pacific (in the photo below is the second), which are practically the same. Until recently, Pacific representatives were considered a sub-species of the Atlantic. Even experienced professionals are very difficult to distinguish these 2 types of herring by external signs. Most of all, they are distinguished by the number of vertebrae: the Atlantic herring has from 55 – and up to 57 – and vertebrae, and the Pacific individual has a maximum of up to 55 –and vertebrae.

Herring is a pelagic schooling fish. Some individual types of herring prefer the brackish waters of the bays. Herring is of great importance in the ocean ecosystem. It feeds on zooplankton. At the same time, herring is the power source of other predators.

Distribution and habitat

This fish is widely distributed in the northern regions of the Atlantic Ocean. These include the European and North American coasts, southern Greenland and Finmarken, in the waters of the Bay of Biscay, in the Baltic Sea (the smallest species known as the Baltic herring) and the waters of the Pacific live in this area.

On the territory of our country one of the most valuable species is the “tsarist herring”, or, as it is also called, “black back”. It lives mainly in the waters of the Caspian Sea. Of all the varieties that inhabit the southern waters of our country, the Azov – Black Sea herring and its varieties have excellent taste. No less valuable are representatives of the Danube and Kerch varieties. Pacific herring has significant commercial value.

Diet

The very first food that the young herring begins to eat is fooled: the footed crustaceans are shown in the photo. Later, it begins to feed on copepods. With age, its menu begins to include more and more varied food, however, until the second year of life, it mainly feeds on zooplankton. Later, when gaining mass and growth, the herring can no longer fully fill with plankton, so its priority in the diet begins to fall. During this period, crustaceans, young of other fish species, benthos and other random components become priorities in its diet.

There are some gastronomic differences in the menu of different types of herring. The older the representatives, the greater the difference in their eating habits. Some members of the fjord herring feed exclusively on plankton throughout their lives, as a result of which their growth rate is significantly reduced. But the inhabitants of the Baltic opposite, at a very early age, begin to eat other kinds of fish. Therefore, they grow to gigantic sizes.

Breeding

An average female of Atlantic specimens can sweep up to 100 thousand eggs. After fertilization, it takes up to 3 weeks, after which the larvae, having a length of up to 8 mm, begin to hatch. A week after hatching, these larvae are carried away very far by currents. With the onset of September, the larvae grow to 6 centimeters and begin to move in large masses to the shoreline. Having reached a body length of more than 7 centimeters, the young begin to spread across the Barents Sea.

Considering the period and some features of spawning of this fish, the Atlantic herring is divided into several races:

• By the spring-spawning herring, it is customary to attribute Norwegian and Icelandic fish. During the feeding period, huge herds go to fatten up in the waters of the Barents Sea. These individuals reach sexual maturity at the age of 8 years. Upon reaching this age, with the onset of early spring, the fish travels to Iceland, Norway, and some nearby islands. For spawning, the water temperature should be above 10 degrees Celsius.
• The main representatives of the summer-spawning individuals are considered Icelandic fish. Unlike the representatives described above, this species is very fertile. Average individuals can sweep up to 200– thousand tons of eggs, while as spring – spawning individuals they sweep up to 70 – thousand eggs. Also, this variety of herring reaches sexual maturity already in the 4th year of life. Spawning often takes place near New England, Scotland and the south of Greenland.

The information described above should not be taken as a rule. Very often there are individuals that go to spawn, both in the autumn period and in the winter.

Under the name of the fish "herring" is more than 50 species of sea and sometimes freshwater fish, which is distributed in almost the entire temperate zone. This fish is of great commercial value. Herring is delicious in almost any form, so there are a huge number of recipes for its preparation. Especially valuable herring roe, which is sold in small jars, as in the photo.

Pacific herring
Clupea harengus pallasi

  Pacific herring - Clupea harengus palasi, is one of the geographic races of the oceanic herring species and belongs to the herring family (Clupeidae).
Pacific herring is spread along the Asian coast from the Korean Peninsula (36 ° 40 "N) to the mouth of the Lena River. Along the American coast from the Beaufort Sea, Bering Strait to San Diego Bay (California).
Herring is a schooling, pelagic fish with a swim bladder. It reaches a length of 50 cm, weight 890 g. Forms a number of local herds, differing mainly in growth rate, time of onset of puberty, terms and spawning areas and fecundity. Compared with other forms (races) of oceanic herring, it has the earliest maturity (some individuals mature at the age of 2+) and the most rapid growth.

Habitat

It is subdivided into a number of large and small herds, in Asian waters, according to ecological features, “sea” and “lake” herrings are distinguished. The "lake" herring have a short life cycle, small size and weight, early puberty, spawn in desalinated waters, lead a coastal lifestyle and do not make extended migrations.

Pacific herring, depending on geographical distribution, ripens at different ages and at different linear sizes. For herring of the southern areals, mainly rapid maturation is typical, most often at the age of 3 years. Late maturity is characteristic of the northern herds of the Okhotsk and Bering seas; the exception is the herring from the East Bering Sea.

In Pacific herring, there are three types of relationships between growth rate and puberty. Herring of Peter the Great Bay and Sakhalin-Hokkaid herds are characterized by rapid growth and accelerated ripening. these herds have good conditions for feeding, as evidenced by a high coefficient of fatness (1.2-1.3). Significant fat accumulation, increased exchange conditions allow the body not only to accelerate the maturation of genital products, but also to ensure rapid linear growth. The feeding of these herds ends in August-September.

Northern herds (Okhotsk, Gizhiginsko-Kamchatka, Korfo-Karaginskoe) are characterized by slow growth and late maturation, as they have the worst conditions of feeding and food security. The coefficient of fatness is low (1.0-1.15). Despite low indicators of fatness, herring feeding ends in September - August, since the number of all three herds is relatively high and faster maturation of individuals is not required.

Of particular interest is the third group of herring - the most precocious and the most tough growing. Most often, such populations are very small (Pribilovskaya, Dekastrinskaya). The earlier maturation of the southern and northern (Pribylovskaya) populations is achieved in various ways.

Southern populations inhabit the coastal waters of Sakhalin: Dekastrinskaya - in the northern part of the Tatar Strait; South Okhotsk - off the eastern coast of Sakhalin, feeding mainly in the Terpeniya Bay. The food availability of these herds is sufficient to create for the required level of fat accumulation by the end of August (1.09-1.2). The necessary security at elevated exchange conditions (feeding at higher temperatures than in the north) leads to an earlier onset of puberty.

Pribilovskaya herring in the summer period is poorly supplied with food, despite the huge water area of ​​the shelf of the eastern part of the Bering Sea. In this regard, the herring extends the feeding period until November-December, as evidenced by the coefficient of fatness in the traditional wintering area (between Father St. Matthew and Pribilof) begins to appear from October-November. Extension of feeding time is an example of an organism's adaptation to earlier maturation.

Sizes, puberty, spawning areas

Pacific herring spawn in the coastal zone, mainly in spring, in the littoral zone, from the water edge to 8-10 m. Along the coast of South Sakhalin and in Peter the Great Bay, reproduction lasts from March to May. In Kamchatka, herring has been spawning since mid-May, in the Bering Sea, since June. Fecundity ranges from 10 thousand to 134 thousand eggs. Spawning one-time. Adhesive caviar is attached to the underwater substrate (stones, algae). In areas of large fluctuations in sea level (Penzhinskaya and Gizhiginskaya lips) during storms in the mass is thrown to the shore, which is the reason for its increased death. Caviar develops with large fluctuations in water temperature (from minus to 10-12 ° C) and salinity (from 2 to 34%). At a negative temperature, caviar is deposited at a depth of 8-10 m. Often the herring to spawn comes to the mouths of rivers. The incubation period, depending on the water temperature at the spawning grounds, lasts from 15 to 50 days. After leaving the calf, the fry and juveniles depart from the shore, but are kept separate from adult fish.
During spawning, there are several approaches to fish that differ in their age composition. At first, the older-age groups spawn, then the middle ones and by the end of the spawning run, the first spawning individuals are suitable. This periodicity is especially clearly seen in the herring of Peter the Great Bay. After spawning, mature fish also moves away from spawning grounds and moves along separate shoals along individual shoals, intensively feeding. As the water warms up during the feeding period, the herring sinks to great depths. The object of feeding is small crustaceans (mainly kolyanus). The greatest intensity of nutrition is observed in the summer, from November to spring it decreases sharply.

Peter the Great Bay

Several local herds of Pacific herring inhabit the Sea of ​​Japan, one of which is in Peter the Great Bay. The entire life cycle of the herring of this herd passes within the bay and the adjacent waters of the southwestern part of the Sea of ​​Japan. It is fed throughout the bay, and breeds in the coastal zone from Cape Suslova to Cape Povorny. In the years of high abundance, the herring spawning range expands to Cape Marmara (Sal.Olga). The number depends on the yield of generations and the conditions of their reproduction.
The herring of Peter the Great Bay is of a large size, as it has a high growth rate. Individual individuals reach a length of 50 cm and a mass of 890 g, with a predominance in fish catches with a length of 24-38 cm and a mass of 250-500 g. The maximum age is 13 years. Years reach an average length of 14.5 cm. They reach sexual maturity at 2-4 years of age, in a mass of 3 years with a length of 20-23 cm.
The spawning of the herring of Peter the Great Bay takes place from March to May at water temperatures from -0.7 (under ice) to 11 ° C, often in desalinated waters, for example, at the mouth of the Razdolnaya River. Spawning grounds are located in the Amur, Ussuriysky and Posiet gulfs. After spawning far into the sea does not migrate, lives in coastal waters. It winters on the "pits" near the spawning grounds. Thus, in terms of the ecology of spawning and distribution, it is close to "lake" herrings, differing from them in large size and fast growth rate.
Fish approach spawning sites in advance, with sexual products at the 1Y stage of maturity. In this regard, it occurs at the end of winter in hoops when fishing in navaga. The mass course for spawning begins in the first decade of March and the first caviar on the substrate is deposited under the ice (Amursky Bay). In some years, spawning may begin one or two weeks earlier or later, depending on hydrological conditions.
Spawning occurs in the coastal zone at a depth of 0.5 to 6.0 m, mainly in areas with a depth of 1.0–3.0 m (85.2%). Seagrass of the zooter (85%) and brown algae serve as a substrate for caviar. The bulk of fish (81.3-96.9%) spawns in the Amur and Ussuri bays.

Tatar Strait (Dekastrinskaya herring)

The habitat of decastrinsky herring is the Tatar Strait, mainly its northern part. Spawning grounds are located along the Sakhalin and mainland coasts, mostly north of 51 ° N.
The summer-autumn feeding herring accumulations are mainly observed along the Sakhalin coast between 50 and 51 ° N. The wintering places are not precise, but it is known that the herring does not descend below 48 ° N, preferring to stay in waters with a temperature of 0 to 3 ° C. Throughout its life, the Dekastrinsky herring does not leave the Tatar Strait, making minor feeding migrations, as it belongs to the herring group of the lake.
It is noted that during periods of cooling (for example, 1950-1953), when there was a weakening of the influx of sea-water in the northern part of the strait, a large number of  Herring spawning off the Sakhalin coast near Aleksandrovsk. During the warming period (1954-1959) when the inflow of the Japanese Sea waters increased, it the greatest number  spawned off the mainland coast in the northernmost parts of the strait; reaching the southern part of the Amur estuary.
Dekastrinsky herring usually spawn from the second half of May to the end of June. From wintering sites to Aleksandrovsk, it moves in one common stream, then it is divided into two: juveniles (mostly triggered spawners for the first time) continue migrating north along the Sakhalin coast, and older fish cross the strait to the main spawning grounds in DeKastri Bay and Sushcheva Bay.
A distinctive feature of spawning accumulations of decastrine herring, especially in the northern parts of the spawning range, is the presence of immature fish in the age 1-2 years  from 9–10 to 14–16 cm. Apparently, this is caused by a higher water temperature in the shallow northern areas, where during the spawning period it reaches 10–12 ° C, whereas in the Aleksandrovsk region during the initial breeding period water does not exceed 3-5 ° C.
After spawning, the gradual advance of the herring from the northern to the southern sections begins. In mid-June, an spawned, actively eating herring appears in the Aleksandrovsk area - Shirokaya Padi. During this period, the rarefied shoals of herring mainly concentrate on the Pilvo-Komsomolsk site, in the zone from 2-3 to 15-20 km from the coast, at a water temperature at the surface of 10-12 ° С. Only in the evening and at night it forms small short-term clusters. Fishing at this time is most effective with drift nets. By the end of July and the beginning of August, when the water temperature at the surface reaches 15-16 ° C, the herring sinks into deeper layers of water, becoming inaccessible for net fishing.
From 1954, purse fishing began to develop, which changed the nature of the fishery. If net fishing is based on actively eating, poorly fed herring, then fishing with purse seines is carried out in the period of decrease in the intensity of feeding, when the fish reaches a certain fatness (more than one). At this time, the herring becomes slow-moving, less fearful, and forms fairly stable accumulations.
The duration of the stability of forage accumulations is determined by the time of the vertical distribution of water temperature (smoothing of temperature gradients). This period falls on the third decade of August. The size of mature decastrine herring ranges from 18-19 to 31 cm, the maximum age is 9 years (Table 4, 5). The basis of catches are three-, four-, five-and six-godovodiki. Herring becomes mature at the age of three (96-98%). Fertility depends on the length of the body of the fish. In fish with a length of 21-22 cm, the average fecundity is 22.9 thousand eggs, with a length of 22-24 cm - 26.4 thousand eggs and with a length of 24-25 cm - 36.9 thousand eggs.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk

In the Sea of ​​Okhotsk stocks of herring and pollock are a counterweight in number. Traditional methods of research based on statistical analysis of the variability of morphological features and data on tagging, ichthyologists identified the following populations of herring in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk: Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Gizhiga-Kamchatka, Sakhalin-Hokkaid and a number of independent local herds of the lake type off the Sakhalin coast. ° N in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk identified two subpopulations of herring in the districts of Sarom and Notoro.
Based on the study of genetically determined traits, TINRO scientists isolated the following herring populations in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk: the Okhotsk (north-western part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk) Gizhigins-Kamchatka (Gizhiginskaya Guba, the north-eastern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk); Tauyskaya (Tauyskaya lip); East Sakhalin; Patience Bay; Lake Tunaicha; Sakhalin-Hokkaido.

Okhotsk herd

Among the numerous local herds (populations) that the Pacific herring forms within its species range, the Okhotsk herd that lives in the waters of the north-western part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk occupies one of the first places by its commercial importance. In the 50s, the catch in this area reached 600 thousand tons, which is more than 50% of the total amount caught in the Far East.
The spawning area of ​​Okhotsk herring is more than 500 miles, counting along the coastline (from the Taui Bay to Ayan). Life expectancy of Okhotsk herring is small. The bulk of the fish caught is between 5 and 8 years old, although some individuals can live up to 13 years. There are also 4-year-olds in the catches, this phenomenon is observed in high-yielding generations. Mature herring is very rare at the age of 3 years. The greatest biomass of herring is six years old.
The coast of the Okhotsk region, where the bulk of the spawning herring is caught, almost has no bays and bays closed to sea waves. Okhotsk herring spawn at a temperature optimum lying within 2-6 ° С. If there is no ice near the coast, such values ​​of water temperature are observed in the middle of May. In the presence of ice, the temperature necessary for spawning is formed 15-20 days later.
Years with late periods of spawning and a long period of embryonic development of caviar accompany lean generations. Thus, the quality of spawning is greatly influenced by ice and wind conditions. With increased wind activity, the coast is blocked by floating ice. Also, when the storm unrest is thrown on the beach and kills a large number of eggs deposited on aquatic vegetation. The adverse effect of ice (in addition to slowing down the warming of the water) is that at low tide ice accumulates on the spawning grounds and as a result, the substrate with deferred caviar dies.
During the feeding period, the herring spreads throughout the northwestern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Small clusters occur in the waters between the island of Iona, the village of Okhotsk and the Koni peninsula. Winters on the stall of the central part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. At present, the number is low, but under conditions of regulation of the fishery and the creation of artificial spawning grounds, it was quickly restored.

Gizhiginsko - Kamchatka herring

An important place in the fishery is occupied by the Gizhiginsko-Kamchatka herring, the spawning area of ​​which is located in the Gizhiginskaya and Penzhinskaya lips, stretching southward to Cape Yuzhny (Peninsula Kamchatka). The fishery of this population is conducted in the Shelikhov Bay during its approaches to breeding to the shores at the spawning grounds in the Gizhiginskaya Bay. The feeding areas are located in the eastern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (in the years of high abundance in the Pacific Ocean, in the waters of the Kursk region and in the region of southeastern Kamchatka to Avacha Bay).
Herring spawning approaches to the coastal zone of the Gizhiginskaya Bay, where its main spawning grounds are located, usually begins in mid-May. At the beginning of June, with a high population, spawning grounds are located along the northwestern coast of Kamchatka from the settlement of Ust-Khayryuzovo to the north to the mouth of the Penzhino river.
The beginning of the approach of herring in the Gizhiginsky Bay coincides, as a rule, with the change of the winter monsoon to the summer. With the clearing of spawning grounds from ice and the beginning of the general spring warming of waters. The water temperature ranges from 2 to 15 ° C, and during the mass stroke from 2 to 9 ° C. Sequential filling of spawning grounds occurs from west to east. Spawning begins in late May - early June. Spawning at the village. Ust-Khayryuzovo is filled annually, and to the north during the period of low population numbers, herring is usually absent. The spawned individuals leave the coast within 1-2 weeks and begin to migrate southwards to the northern Kuriles. Some of the older fish (6 years and older) through the First and Second Kuril Straits goes into the Pacific Ocean.
The length of feeding migrations of Gizhiginsk-Kamchatka herring from the top of the Gizhiginskaya Bay to the northern Kuril Islands is more than 700 miles. The main feeding area is the southwest coast of Kamchatka and the island of Paramushir.

East Sakhalin herring

In the waters of eastern Sakhalin, local herring populations of herring, with a small number, are of interest for coastal fisheries. The areas of their commercial exploitation are confined to the waters of the Terpeniya Bay, Lake Tunaicha, and the bays of the northeast coast of the island.
Lake type herring is characterized by spawning in shallow areas on extensive shallows. The spawning capacity for these areas is explained by the fact that this type of herring lives in severe hydrological conditions and in spring, during the period of gonad ripening and spawning, lives in areas where fast warming of water occurs. Within 10-15 days the water temperature rises from 1-3 to 9-13 ° C. Another characteristic feature of herring of the lake type is their spawning in desalinated parts of the sea. It was noted that with the penetration of waters of high salinity under the influence of sea currents on the spawning grounds, the herring ceases to enter these areas.
Spawning occurs at different degrees of desalination. Herring of Lake Tunaich (4-5%) carries the lowest salinity. With a relatively high salinity of water, herring spawns in the Terpeniya Bay and the northern part of the Tatar Strait (28-30%). The connection with the closed reservoirs of lake herrings is also different. Vedensky (1960) divided the lake herrings into two groups. The first attributed spawning and wintering in lakes; to the second - associated with the lake only during the breeding season. In Sakhalin, the first group includes the herring of Lake Tunaicha and Raychisi, the second group includes the north-eastern coast of the island and the Sakhalin Bay.

Herring Lake Tunaicha (Tonnayan herring)

A small herd of herring breeds and winters in Lake Tunaicha. The catch per year ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 thousand tons. The spawning of the herring of the Lake Tunaicha begins with the release of the water area from ice at a water temperature of 1-2 ° C. Spawning ends at the end of June. The salinity in the lake at the surface is 4.18 - 4.54%, at a depth of 20 m - 10.23%.
After spawning, the herring leaves the sea and stays in Mordvinova Bay throughout the summer. In late September - October, again from the sea goes to the lake for the winter.
The annual life cycle, similar to that of the Tonnay, is the herring of the Lake of Rychisi. She also spawns and winters in the lake, and feeds into the sea. The number is small and it has no commercial value. Salinity of water does not exceed 5-7%, and the temperature in winter drops to negative values ​​(-0.2 ° С), in summer it rises to -16-19 ° С.

Herring Bay Patience

The herring spawning of a local herd in the Terpeniya Bay occurs in May-June in the coastal part of the bay from Kotikova village to Novoe village. The water temperature in May ranges from 0.6 to 9.6 ° C, in June - from 6.9 to 12.3 ° C. After spawning, the herring does not leave the bay and is fed in June-July not far from the coast, and in August-September, with further heating of the water, the herring leaves more seaward. In October, with the onset of cooling, the adult herring reappears off the coast. During the feeding period, it is harvested by fixed and swing seines. Maximum catches are recorded in June.
The hydrological regime of the waters of the southeastern part of Sakhalin, in particular, the Terpeniya Bay, is influenced by two currents: the cold East Sakhalin and warm waters, which are brought to this coast by the Soya current. Usually, the waters of the East Sakhalin Current dominate in almost all areas of the southeastern coast, and during this period the catch in the Terpeniya Bay consists of local herring. During periods of increasing activity of the warm current (1953-1958), catches consist of the local and Sakhalin-Hokkaid populations of herring.

Sakhalin Bay herring

As soon as the Sakhalin Bay is freed from ice, spawning herring appears on both banks. Along the mainland coast, spawning takes place from the island of Baidukov to the Kohl River, and along the Sakhalin coast - from the bay of Vereshchagin to the Bay of Quagde. The greatest concentrations near the mainland coast are observed near the Kohl River and in the area of ​​the settlement of Petrovskaya Kosa; near Sakhalin - in the area of ​​the settlement of Kirpichiki, Lugi, Muzma and Rybnoe. In the same place where the waters of the Amur do not have a desalinating effect, and local rivers are too small - the herring approaches are not observed. This area, in particular, is the north-west coast of the bay.
Herring spawning in Sakhalin Bay takes place in June-July. At the beginning of spawning, the water temperature in the coastal part is about 1.0 ° C; at the end of June, the water warms up to 12-14 ° C.
After spawning, the herring remains in the bay for feeding, where it is harvested by fixed and crossing seines. Due to its small number, it does not form feeding concentrations of high concentration. In September-October, the herring comes closer to the coast (the autumn course) and the catches during this period increase.
In late October, wintering clusters begin to form. Herring winters in the southern part of the bay and on the fairways of the Baikal bays. Survive, happiness, choosing areas with less low water temperature. In general, the hydrological wintering conditions of the herring are very severe and in the places of its concentration in winter the water temperature drops to negative values ​​(from -1.0 to -1.5 ° С).

Herring of the northern part of Sakhalin

Herring spread along the northeast coast is confined to the desalinated bays: Piltun, Chayvo, Dagi, Nyivo and Nabil. Herring enters the bays during the breeding season. Initially, the herring appears in the Nyivo Bay, and with warming up of the water in more northern areas. So, in the hall. Piltun it appears 5-10 days later. Spawning takes place from June to July. In June, the water temperature on the spawning grounds ranges from 1.8 to 9.0 ° C; in July, from 6.2 to 11.1 ° C; salinity varies from 4 to 30%, including the average for June is 16.36%, for July -24.16%.
After spawning, the herring goes to feed in the sea. Here it spreads over the entire water area adjacent to the bays. Until October, the shoals are sparse and catches are insignificant. The most frequent hits of fish into drift nets during feeding were observed at a water temperature of 10 to 13 ° C. The local herring feeds within the East Sakhalin Current. Zooplankton in this area is quite rich and its average biomass in August-November was 300-500 mg / m 53.
With the onset of a cold snap, herring accumulates near the bays' ducts, entering the channels where it overwinters.

Sakhalino - Hokkaido herring

Herring breeding off the coast of Hokkaido and southern Sakhalin is distinguished into the so-called Sakhalin-Hokkaido herd. From the beginning of the century to the mid-thirties, its annual catches amounted to 700-900 thousand tons. Currently, due to the reduction in the number of herds. fishing for Sakhalin-Hokkaid herring fell into decline.
One of the indirect evidence of the high number of spawning herds of herring is the length and filling of spawning grounds. The maximum number of Sakhalin-Hokkaid herd reached in the period 1976-1889, when high catches per unit of effort were observed at the same time both off the coast of Honshu Island and Hokkaido. It was during this period that the maximum length of its spawning grounds was observed (common spawning zone near the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu) along the coastal line of western Sakhalin (up to the village of Shirokaya Pad) and eastern Sakhalin (from the Aniva Bay to the Terpeniya Bay). During the feeding period, it is distributed in the Tatar Strait, including the coastal coast and in the southwestern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, reaching the island of Iona, where it partially mixes with the Okhotsk herd. The minimum number was observed in 1940-1950, when spawning grounds were scattered and more than an order of magnitude lower in length from the initial level.
The process of reducing the number of herring occurred for natural reasons and began long before the fishery reached its maximum. Long-term changes in the abundance and catches of herring are caused by changes in climatic and oceanological conditions.
It is known that since 1860-1870. in the century-old climate, there has been a trend towards global warming, which was "epochal" in nature. The increase in air temperature caused warming of the waters of the adjacent seas, especially coastal areas. The climax of global warming came in the 30s and 40s. The warming period for Sakhalin-Hokkaido herring was characterized by a steady reduction of spawning grounds, especially in the southern part of the range. The extremely harsh conditions of the coast of eastern and northeastern Sakhalin prevented mechanical expansion of herring spawning grounds to the north. That is, the herring did not receive an equivalent compensation to the fading spawning grounds of the southern part of the range in the northern regions. As a result, the main spawning grounds were overcrowded. There was a mass mortality of eggs in the inner layers of multilayer clutches, which made the effectiveness of spawning low. The end result is a reduction in the number of herring. Excessive Japanese fishing of spawning fish and juveniles in the years of low numbers sharply deepened the depression and slowed down the natural way out of this state.
The process of almost a century of general warming in 1940-1950 stopped and the reverse tendency towards a gradual cooling was observed. The process of global cooling continues at the present stage and should last until the end of this century. With the onset of cooling, there is a slow recovery in the herring numbers. A significant increase in spawning fish in the Terpeniya Bay, the appearance of a number of middle-yielding generations in the last decade suggests an increase in the rate of recovery of herring numbers and the release of this population from depression.
The stocks of Sakhalin-Hokkaido herring are exploited by Russia and Japan. The Japanese traditionally seize it in the winter and early spring periods near Hokkaido.

Marine fishing

The body is silver, darker on the back, without spots, covered with easily falling scales. There is no sideline. Lower jaw slightly protruding. A well-developed fat eyelid covering the eyes in front and behind. D 15-19; A 14-19; GR 63-73; Vert.53-55.

Pelagic fish of medium size. It reaches a length of 50 cm and a mass of 1090 g. Life expectancy is 17-18 years. The prevailing length in catches is 24-36 cm, weight is 250-500 g, age 4-8 years. Leads a gregarious way of life, making seasonal migrations within the shelf during the year associated with feeding and spawning. It becomes sexually mature in the bulk in the third year of life with a length of 26 cm. It spawns in the waters of Primorye from March to May. The main spawning grounds are located in the Amur and Ussuri bays, as well as in the hall. Posyet. They are confined to a narrow coastal strip with abundant thickets of sea grass and algae. Spawning takes place at depths of 1 to 15 m at a water temperature of minus 1.5 to 8 ° C. Ground roe, sticking. Fecundity from 10 to 140 thousand eggs. Usually, three herring approaches are noted for the spawning season. The first move starts from the second half of February through March inclusive, with a spawning peak in mid-March. The first course involves, as a rule, the largest individuals of older ages. Some males of the first move, the so-called messengers, have a bridal outfit in the form of an orange-colored head. The second move starts from the end of March and lasts until mid-April. Mass spawning of the third course of herring falls at the end of April-beginning of May. The females of the first move lay their eggs under the ice at a negative water temperature, and the females of the last move lay positive. In high-yielding years, the density of deferred eggs on spawning grounds reaches 10 million eggs per square meter. Delayed caviar is eaten by navaga, bullheads, flounder and other fish, thereby causing significant damage to the recruitment. Hatching of the herring larvae of all spawning approaches occurs almost simultaneously - in the first and second decades of May. At the end of spawning, the herring (approximately from mid-June) begins to move away from the coast to feed in open waters. During this period, it lives in areas with a temperature of about 7-12 ° C and actively feeds on various planktonic organisms. It is noticed that the herring in summer avoids waters with a high temperature and stays at a certain depth, in a layer lying below the temperature jump.

Sea view not avoiding desalinated water. Off the coast of Primorye is found everywhere. The common range of Pacific herring is extremely wide and covers the coastal waters of the entire North Pacific Ocean from the Yellow Sea to the Chukchi Sea and further south to San Diego. Within the range, it disintegrates into several local herds of various numbers. In the hall. Peter the Great and the surrounding waters forms its seaside herd.

Important commercial fish of the Far East and Primorye. Her reserves in the hall. Peter the Great began to be mastered in 1910. During the current century, the number and volumes of the catch of this herring fluctuated considerably. It reached its highest numbers here in the early 20s, when its catches in the gulf reached 25 thousand tons per year. Then the stocks of coastal herring under the influence of anthropogenic and other factors dropped sharply, and in 1963 a 17-year ban was imposed on its fishery. With the restoration of stocks in the 80s. the herring fishery was resumed and carried out on a limited scale (2.8–3.8 thousand tons per year), and then in 1992 it decreased to 1.4 thousand tons. Currently, the number of herring in the hall. Peter the Great is at a low level and its fishing is not conducted. Every year, only small limits (200-500 tons) for amateur fishermen are allocated. The installation of artificial spawning grounds will help to restore the stocks of herring, the design and methods of use of which were developed by the scientists of TINRO and Dalrybvtuz.