On reasons for the decline of iwashi catch in 2025

Iwashi (Far Eastern sardine) is a unique species of aquatic biological resources experiencing significant inter-decadal fluctuations in abundance and biomass. In the late 1980-s, iwashi fishing concentrations were observed off the Pacific coast of Japan and in the Sea of Japan. This allowed Soviet fishermen to reach a historically maximum catch in 1990–0,9 million tons. The appearance of significant concentrations of iwashi in the economic zone of the Russian Federation in the 2010s aſter 25 years allowed our fishermen to achieve an «explosive» increase in the catch of this fishing facility. Over the period from 2016 to 2024, the catch increased 85 times. However, the results of fishing in 2025 turned out to be completely unexpected, when, contrary to the forecast, catches decreased 10-fold. The main reason, according to the authors, was the «heat waves», which had a negative impact on the recruitment abundant of the fishery stock.