PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, September 23 (Itar-Tass) - Catching of Pacific salmon in commercial quantities has been terminated on the Kamchatka Peninsula on Monday, effective from midnight, local time, a source at the Territorial Ministry of Fishery told Itar-Tass.

Since the beginning of summer, the Kamchatka Territory produced about 135,000 tons of the valuable fishes, which, according to the source, is quite a good result. Nevertheless, the result is medium, if compared to the record-high amounts of the fish caught in 2011 and 2012 when the catches of salmon fishes in the summer period exceeded 247,000 and 253,000 tons, respectively. Kamchatka fishery workers had never achieved such results over the entire period of observation of salmon fisheries since 1906.

Original forecasts had it that Kamchatka was to catch about 150,000 tons of salmon fishes. The forecast did not quite justify itself. Specialists believe that this is accounted for by objective circumstances, such as, in particular, the abnormally low water temperatures off the eastern shores of Kamchatka, which could have an adverse effect "on the survival of humpback salmon fry".

Fishery companies, which completed fishing operations, are busy summing up the results of the season. At the same time, sportive fishing of salmon in Kamchatka rivers is permitted so far. Tourists, who arrive at the Peninsula for fish catching by means of spinning, will be able to catch their salmon species (coho) tentatively until the end of October, the Territorial Fishery Ministry source pointed out.