Fish deception: Azov pike perch numbers are decreasing, not increasing.
Scientists from the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO (AzNIIRKH) called a myth information about the rapidly growing stock of Azov pike-perch.
"Unfortunately, this is only an illusion caused by the sharp contraction of the pike-perch's range, when the remaining stock became trapped by the salinity in a narrow, freshwater zone in the eastern part of Taganrog Bay and the Don Delta," experts explain.
The optimal salinity level for pike-perch is 11-12‰; a salinity of 14‰ is fatal. The overall increase in salinity in the Sea of Azov in recent years has led not only to a decline in pike-perch numbers but also to a reduction in the area of salinity below 11‰ to just 2-2,5 square kilometers. As a result, while the pike-perch stock remained at 325-500 tons, its density has increased to 150-200 kg/km².
According to scientists, this has fueled the myth of a rapidly growing pike-perch population and fueled rumors about the need to urgently resume its fishery. However, monitoring shows that the pike-perch population is currently at its most vulnerable due to its concentration in a limited area under unstable breeding conditions. This requires not the reopening of the pike-perch fishery, but rather maximum attention to its conservation.
Photo: AzNIIRKH