Greenland halibut of the Barents sea: population dynamics and fishing productivity factors

The paper considers the history of the Russian fishery of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) from the Barents Sea from the mid-1960s to the present. Based on the statistical analysis of the database of ship’s daily reports, the series of abundance indices at various stages of fishing development are reconstructed. The efficiency of various fishing complexes is compared and the catch is adjusted for effort, taking into account the productivity growth factor. The problems of applying size-structured models of population dynamics to the assessment of the stock status of Greenland halibut are discussed. It is shown that the current state of halibut stocks allows for the harvest of up to 28 thousand tons without damage to the reproduction of the population.