Protecting Omul from Poachers during Spawning

The response team of state inspectors from “Zapovednoye Pribaikalye” and “Zapovednoye Podlemorye” was created at the instigation of the directors of these federal state budgetary institutions with the support of the Department for State Policy and Regulation in the Sphere of Development of Specially Protected Natural Areas and Baikal Natural Territory of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia in order to increase the effectiveness of the anti-poaching measures. The response team will operate during omul spawning which is the rush period for poachers. Arthur Murzakhanov, Deputy Director of the Roszapovedtsentr of the Ministry of Natural Resources and former state inspector of the FGBU (Federal State Budgetary Institution) “Zapovednoe Podlemorye” became the head of the new unit.

“The idea of creating a combined response team for the Baikal Natural Territory has been developed over several years. Despite the ban on omul fishing in the Baikal introduced in October 2017, the issue of poaching remains unresolved. In order to prevent violations during the spawning period, it was decided to strengthen the response team operating near spawning sites by employees from other protected areas. In the near future, we plan to extend the acquired experience to other conservation districts,” A. Murzakhanov commented.

In July of this year, participants in the first combined response team of state inspectors of the Baikal Natural Territory received tactical and technical training at the premises of the Kalashnikov concern. The training program was developed taking into account the specifics of work in Specially Protected Natural Areas with adjacent water basins.

In addition, in order to strengthen interagency cooperation, Deputy Director of the Roszapovedtsentr of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia Arthur Murzakhanov and Prosecutor of the Baikal Interregional Environmental Prosecutor’s Office Sergei Zenkov participated in a working meeting, in the course of which the parties discussed the issues of collaboration with law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies in the anti-poaching campaign during the spawning period.

Source: Press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation

Опубликовано: 25 September 2019