Russian Pacific herring catch tops 612,000 tonnes, breaking 1969 historical record

An analysis by the Analytical Center of the Russian Fishery Union (Рыбный союз) of nearly 90 years of data from the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (ВНИРО) shows that the Pacific herring catch has set an absolute historical high.

According to data from the Central Fisheries Monitoring and Communication System of the Federal Agency for Fisheries of the Russian Federation (ЦСМС Росрыболовства), as of November 2026, the Pacific herring catch has exceeded 612,000 tonnes. This figure surpasses the previous historical high of 606,000 tonnes set in 1969. The data was reported to Fishnews by the Russian Fishery Union.

The Analytical Center of the Russian Fishery Union noted that the current catch has reached 2.7 times the average annual catch of 228,000 tonnes over the 90-year observation history.

Citing data, the union said that between 1935 and 2025, the annual Pacific herring catch in the Far East fluctuated between a low of 40,000 tonnes (1935) and a peak of 606,000 tonnes (1969), and 2026 has now rewritten this history.

The above data was compiled by the Analytical Center of the Russian Fishery Union based on 90 years of records from the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, with catch statistics as of November 2026 provided by the Central Fisheries Monitoring and Communication System of the Federal Agency for Fisheries of the Russian Federation.