MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Russian fishermen caught a record number of iwashi, also known as the Pacific sardine, in 2024, reeling in a total of 557,700 metric tons as of December 1, the All-Russian Association of Fish Producers (ARAFP) reports.
"Russian fishermen have caught 557,700 metric tons of iwashi sardines as of December 1, surpassing the record from last year, when 544,000 metric tons were caught, by 2.5%," the association noted.
The iwashi sardine is Russia’s second-most fished product by volume, topped only by the Alaskan pollock.
Iwashi sardines were not caught for almost twenty years; fishing resumed only in 2018, the association reported. "According to scientific forecasts, catches should remain high for years to come," the association added.