4. FISHERIES (Alevtina A. Shumatova, Leonid K. Pshenichnov and Evgeny V. Romanov)

Fisheries exploration and research studies of the seamounts of the Southern Indian Ocean were carried using seven classes of vessels: PPR, RTMS, BMRT, RTMA, STM, SRTM and SRTMK^[8]. The principal specifications of these vessels are listed in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1

Principal characteristics of Ukrainian research and fishing vessels operated in the Southern Indian Ocean

Vessel class	Type of vessel	LOA (m)		GRT		Engine power (kW)
Vessel class	Type of vessel	Min	Max	Min	Max	Min	Max
PPR	Stern trawler	102.70	103.59	4734	5019	2205	2280
RTMS	Stern trawler	101.46	102.00	3090	3149	2484	2852
BMRT	Stern trawler	83.57	84.70	2323	3170	1470	1470
RTMA	Stern trawler	82.00	82.20	2164	2177	1705	1710
STM	Stern trawler	62.20	62.20	2062	2062	1764	1764
SRTMK	Stern trawler	54.80	54.80	635	722	735	853
SRTM	Side trawler	52.90	54.80	558	632	588	588

The research vessels had the same fishing abilities as commercial fishing vessels, except they had less hold capacity as some internal space was used for scientific laboratories. Vessels of the SRTM and SRTMK class were generally used for line, longline and pot fishing. For this purpose they were specially converted to be able to deploy vertical lines, lobster pots, bottom and pelagic long-lines and lift nets. However they retained the ability to fish using trawls.

This review uses the following common names of fishes:

Butterfishes, meaning a mixture of:
	rudderfish	(Centrolophus niger)
	bluenose warehou	(Hyperoglyphe antarctica)
	New Zealand ruffe	(Schedophilus huttoni)
	black ruffe	(Schedophilus maculatus)
	and violet warehou	(Schedophilus velaini).
Rubyfishes means a mixture of:
	Cape bonnetmouth	(Emmelichthys nitidus)
	and rubyfish	(Plagiogeneion rubiginosum).

A complete list of fish recorded at the Southern Indian Ocean seamounts and their common English names is presented in Appendix I.

Statistics of fishing effort and annual catch of the Soviet (Ukrainian) fleet by vessel class and type of fishing gear are listed in Tables 4.2 and 4.3. Target species for the Soviet (Ukrainian) fleet were alfonsino (Beryx spelendens), rubyfishes (two species) and butterfishes (generally two species C. niger and H. antarctica). The Soviet (Ukrainian) fishing fleet never targeted orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) and dories in this area though these species were recorded in research vessel catches^[9].

^[8] Translating Russian vessel class terms into English is not easy, and generally only the abbrevations were used in Russian. The authors give the following:

PPR - Promyslovo Proizvodstvennyj Refrizhrator (~Fishing (or Fisheries) Processing Refrigeratory Vessel)
RTMS - Rybolovnyj Trauler Morozil'nyj Super (~Fishing-Freezing Super Trawler)
BMRT - Bol'shoj Morozil'nyj Rybolovnyj Trauler (~Big Fishing-Freezing Trawler)
RTMA - Rybolovnyj Trauler Morozil'nyj Atlantik (Fishing-Freezing Trawler type Atlantic)
SRTM - Srednij Rymolovnyj Morozil'nyj Trauler
SRTMK- Srednij Rymolovnyj Morozil'nyj Trauler Kormovoj (Medium Fishing-Freezing Stern Trawler) - (Ed)

^[9] This species has no commercial interest for Soviet/Ukrainian fishing vessels, which operated generally for internal food supply of the country. Under hygienic regulations this species was not allowed for human consumption due to its chemical composition (high content of nonsaponifying fats).