The current state of chironomid reserves in the reservoirs of the Altai territory in 2023

A large number of brackish lakes with different levels of hydrobiont development are located on the territory of the Altai Territory. Chironomids in such lakes are the dominant group of zoobenthos and serve as a valuable object of industrial fishing. In connection with the economic use of commercial aquatic organisms, there is a need to assess their reserves. The paper presents the results of studies of chironomid reserves in 15 brackish lakes of the Altai Territory in 2023. The article provides data on the main characteristics of the habitat of chironomids. An assessment of the ecological state of the lakes is given. The size and weight characteristics of chironomid communities from different reservoirs are given. Using the example of three model lakes, the taxonomic composition and the proportion of commercial species in these communities are determined. The average annual biomass of chironomids in the lakes of the Altai Territory in 2023 varies from 0.1 to 18.6 g/m². There is a large variation in the size and weight composition of chironomid communities in different lakes of the Altai Territory. According to spring observations, the length of chironomids ranged from 3.1 to 27.0 mm, weight from 0.2 to 88.8 mg. From 2 to 6 chironomid taxa have been found in the Bulatovo, Tomskoye and Korostelevskoye lakes as part of the community. The proportion of species of commercial interest (Chironomus spp.) in the chironomid lake community ranged from 35 to 60% of the total population and from 80 to 91% of the total biomass. The total reserves of chironomides in the lakes of the Altai Territory in the period 2023 amounted to 270 tons. Over the long-term period (2015–2022), total reserves range from 48.9 to 81.1 tons by year, with an average catch of 16.1 tons.