The decline in salmon catches in Russia in 2026 is associated with climate change

The decline in salmon catches in Russia in 2026 is due to climate change.

Russian fishermen have already caught almost 98 thousand tons of salmon in 2026.

The Kamchatka Territory remains the undisputed leader in terms of catch volume, where about 56 thousand tons of salmon were caught.

MOSCOW, September 25 - RIA Novosti. The decrease in salmon catch in Russia in 2026 is associated with climate change, due to which the survival rate of these fish has become less and the timing of spawning migration has changed, Olga Maznikova, director of the department of anadromous fish of Russia VNIRO, candidate of biological sciences, told RIA Novosti.

“Climate can be identified as a key factor influencing the course of the fishery this year. This is reflected, for example, in a decrease in the survival rate of Pacific salmon, increased storm activity, floods and changes in the timing of spawning migration,” she said.

Maznikova noted that throughout the history of salmon fishing, significant fluctuations in catches have been observed due to various reasons, including anthropogenic and natural ones.

She added that Russian fishermen have already caught almost 98 thousand tons of salmon in 2026, while the fishing season has ended in almost all fishing areas. Now the fishery is concentrated in the Khabarovsk Territory and the Sakhalin Region.