Smoked Omul fish from Lake Baikal for sale along the road at Kultuk, Slyudyansky District, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
Wuikipedia: The omul, Coregonus migratorius, also known as Baikal omul (Russian: байкальский омуль), is a whitefish species of the salmon family endemic to Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. It is considered a delicacy and is the object of one of the largest commercial fisheries on Lake Baikal. In 2004, it was listed in Russia as an endangered species. Omul is one of the primary food resources for people living in the Baikal region. It is considered a delicacy throughout Russia, and export to the west is of some economic importance. Smoked omul is widely sold around the lake and is one of the highlights for many travelers on the Trans-Siberian railway, and locals tend to prefer the fish salted. A popular Siberian salad called stroganina consists of uncooked frozen omul shaved thinly and served with pepper, salt and onion. Due to its high demand, the omul is the object of one of the most important commercial fisheries in Lake Baikal. The highest recorded annual landed catches occurred in 1940s and amounted to 60-80 thousand tonnes. A subsequent crash in the population led to a closing of the fishery in 1969, followed by a reopening with strict quotas in 1974 after some recovery of the stocks. Currently, the omul fishery accounts for roughly two-thirds of the total Lake Baikal fishery. Fluctuations in the population and intensive fishing make sustaining the fishery one of the highest priorities for local fisheries managers.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Kultuk, Slyudyansky District, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
Photo credit: © Bert de Ruiter / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: baikal, bert, commerce, consumption, coregonus, de, delicacy, district, fish, fishery, food, horizontal, irkutsk, kultuk, lake, landscape, migratorius, nutrients, oblast, omul, ruiter, russia, russian, sell, selling, slyudyansky, smoked, travel, vendor, whitefish
