The fishing in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov basins is based mainly on small pelagic fish (sprats, khamsa, sardelle) and a catch of bottom fish (pilengas, pike-perch, sturgeon, flounder).

In 1998, as comparing to 1997, the total catch of fish and sea products increased by 10,9% and reached 53,600 tons.

From the Sea of Azov (together with estuaries) 82,000 tons of fish were caught. The main object of fishing was pilengas (3,600 tons were caught). For the first time the catch was bigger than the catches of the mass fish species khamsa and sardelle. Khamsa fishing in 1998 can be characterized as unsatisfactory due to a lack of large schools and also due to anomalous hydro-meteorological conditions. But the catch of sardelle reached 2,500 tons. The catch of pike-perch stayed rather high (845.5 tons). A tendency towards an increase of the stock of bullhead has been observed (261.2 tons were caught).

At the same time the fishing of sturgeon has practically stopped because of a decrease of their number (including fishing for scientific purposes, 131.2 tons were caught). The catch of flounder decreased two times (21 tons). Herring were caught only in connection with scientific research.

In the catch of 1998 the appearance of the aboriginal species of grey mullet (granary and other fish) was noticed. It is the first time in years that the catch of these species is regarded as interesting.

The total quota of fish catch in the Sea of Azov in 1998, as also in previous years, was not used up completely and accounted for 19,6 % (while the quota was 41557 tons, 8136,6 tons of fish were caught.)

During this period 34,305 tons of fish were caught from the Black Sea (the quota was 65,636 tons). Quotas were not completely used up in this basin for katran (3,558.9 tons were not used), the Black Sea khamsa (3,274.3 tons), sprats (19,089.1 tons), pilengas (985 tons) and other sea foods. The total uncaught quantity of fish and other sea foods in the Black Sea was 73,539 tons.

In the other regions of the Black Sea Basin the special use of natural water resources were below the fixed limits: in estuaries of the north-western territory of the Black Sea the use of was 47.9%, in the Danube River with the nearest lakes 63.5%, and in the Dnister River 31.1%.

In the Danube River and the nearest lakes the total catch of fish decreased to 1,200 tons. The main catch consisted of bream (209 tons), herring (160 tons), pike-perch (111 tons) and crucian (264 tons). As compared to 1997 the catch of bream increased by 40 tons, pike-perch increased by 20 tons, and herring decreased by 112 tons.

In Odesa Region a steady increase of fish catch has been observed in Lake Yalpug, where 123 tons of fish were caught in 1998 (in 1994 11,5 tons). The bulk of the catch consisted of herbivorous fishes (100 tons). At the same time in Lake Kagul the catch decreased by one third and now amounts to 325 tons, the catch of herbivorous fishes decreased two times in this lake. The industrial catch in Lake Kartal (40 tons) is still very small because the lake does not contain very much fish. In total in these reservoirs 874 tons of fish were caught, which is 38% of the quota (2,469.7 tons).

In the Dnister Basin 65,7 tons were caught; that is 221 tons less than in 1997 and only 31% of the quota. The catch mainly consisted of pike-perch (41,2 tons) and herring (41,5 tons).
In the Dnieper reservoirs a comparative stabilization of the total industrial catch volumes has been observed in recent years. In spite of herbivorous fishing without limits, the catch of such fish decreased to 1,200 tons because fish suddenly stopped coming in the reservoirs during the last 5 years due to unfavorable natural conditions during fishing in January–March 1998 and an increasing poaching pressure on the reservoirs. The catch of bream decreased by 140 tons, pike by 22, and sheat-fish by 8 tons. The catch consisted mainly of pike-perch (165 tons) and crucian (40 tons), the catch of which increased as compared to 1997.

In the low Dnieper and Dnieper–Bug estuaries the catch of fish decreased two times, comparing with 1997. In the industrial catch the main fish was sardelle (50,5% of total catch). As during the last few years, the base of the industrially valuable fish stocks consisted of bream, pike-perch and other fish.

The catch of pike was 16.1 tons, but only 19% of the quota was used up because of a major change of a floodgate through a Kahovka HES routine.

The catch of sea-roach stayed the same as the last years.

In water bodies of the western, eastern and central regions of Ukraine the catch of fish in 1998 was 313.9 tons, while the limits were 629 tons (level of use - 49.9%). The base of the industrial catch consisted of sea-roach, bream, and crucian.

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