B. N. Panov and E. O. Spiridonova
Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography, Southern Branch, Kerch, Ukraine
Received March 7, 1996; in final form, April 16, 1997
Abstract—Peculiarities of migrations and the process of formation of commercial aggregations of the Black
Sea anchovy in the southeastern part of the Black Sea were studied at the “nested polygons” from 1983 to 1992.
Simultaneously with the collection of the oceanographic information during the catch period, a hydroacoustic
sample of the distribution of fish was made and the biomass of fish aggregations was estimated. The daily data
on the near-surface atmospheric pressure over the sea were used to correlate the processes under study with the
atmospheric circulation. The weakening of the Rim (Main Black Sea) Current and the formation of stable wide
zones of anticyclonic water movement decreases the migration activity of the anchovy and significantly influ-
ences its abundance during the wintering period in the waters off Georgia. During the winter, the weakening of
the northward currents and the formation of the southward ones result in the gradual movement of the shoals to
the south. The situation, when the index of western atmospheric transfer over the sea exceeds its multiyear aver-
age value (both annual average and the value calculated for the period of the fishing season), is regarded as unfa-
vorable for the Black Sea anchovy fishery. The catastrophic fall in the anchovy stock and catch values in 1990
resulted from the excess of the 50% level of stock removal during the period 1987–1989, the outburst of the
ctenophore Mnemiopsis in 1989–1990, and abnormally stable strengthening of the westward atmospheric
transfer in 1987–1989.
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