Russian scientists propose catching jellyfish to protect anchovy

The Azov and Black Sea branch of the Federal Russian Research Institute Of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) is launching an initiative to harvest jellyfish in the Russian south in order to alleviate the threat to local anchovy and increase the country’s exports.  

VNIRO scientists have been working on a method of catching and cooking jellyfish for a few years, according to a press release. The organization’s efforts have focused on how to regulated the jellyfish population in Russia’s southern seas.

Harvesting jellyfish, VNIRO hopes, will decrease populations of the species – as it has become a threat to anchovy. Jellyfish and juvenile anchovy compete for the same food source – zooplankton and small crustaceans – and juvenile anchovy often get out-competed and struggle for food. Globally, rising jellyfish populations has been highlighted by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization as a potential problem.

According to the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries, the anchovy catch declined by 28.6 percent in 2020, with much of the blame being laid on jellyfish. A similar decrease in catch was estimated for 2021.

Currently, no companies harvest jellyfish in either the Sea of Azov or the Black Sea. In Russia’s Far East, a few companies are involved in the business, but the catch is small and the products are entirely bound for export to China. During the Soviet era, attempts were made by the agriculture industry to turn jellyfish into feed for pigs and birds, but those attempts all ended after a trial phase.

At a recent session of VNIRO’s Scientific Production Council, scientists prepared a few dishes cooked with jellyfish to demonstrate the possibilities. Cooking methods have been invented by VNIRO’s scientists to use raw materials and turn them into recognizable food items, with the demonstration menu including items like tomato soup, fish soup, marmalade confections, salads, and chips.

Scientists have also studied the chemical makeup of the jellyfish, its microbiological parameters, and other aspects to benefit a potential commercial fishing industry for the species.

The Sea of Azov and Black Sea contain two species, according to VNIRO, Aurelia aurita and Rhizostoma pulmo. The recommended annual catch, if an industry can be established, is 100 metric tons (MT) in the Sea of Azov and 300 MT in the Black Sea.   

Photo courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations