On January 25-26 activists of «the Fishermen Community of Ukraine» conducted inspection raids  in the markets of the capital and Kiev’s oblast  –  with respect to the discovery of the  illegal  fishing gears trade. Representatives of the Kiev’s ecological and cultural center, Kiev State Fish Protection and Ministry of the Internal Affairs took part in the raids.

In the course of two days three volunteer teams and law enforcement officials with the total number of 20 persons, inspected six cities and towns: Kiev, Belaya Tserkov, Skvira, Vasilkov, Fastov, Irpen. Due to the operating information received from the local activists of the Community, only the markets, where the illegal fishing gears trade had been discovered were inspected.

Total 20 markets and 7 shops were inspected – and we were gladdened by the results of the inspection: in comparison with the raid ratios in the year of 2008 number of the violation decreased twice as much! Particular majority of the salesmen knows about the trade prohibition in their cities and towns and they don’t want to violate the law. There is the most telling example with the well known market place «Bukhara» in Kiev (market place «Ribalka», next to the metro station «Dnepr»): due to the constant inspections and our explanatory work with the administration, the illegal fishing gears trade ceasing in the market places was succeeded for all intents and purposes. Of course, there is just a chance that in some market places unconscious salesmen still are carrying out   under–the-the counter sale of the nets locally and periodically. But it cannot be compared with things happened just a year ago: then every second sold illegal fishing gears!

However, some still acting “flashpoints” were shuttered this time. Here are the results of the raid: 6 protocols on the administrative violations were made  (three of them  are  on the illegal  tackles, three ones –  on the  illegal  fish sale); total 106  “gusset sheets” and  9 nets (“Chinese”, “Finnish”, “Irkutsk”)  were  confiscated. Also 3 acts were made and sent to the administrations of some cities and towns for the local authorities reaction, 4 warrants were taken from the salesmen – where they contracted out of “the Trade regulations in the markets” violation.

In addition we are going to inform  all of the conscious  fishermen that  the work  with the Ministry of Economy  started  in the  year  of 2008  and directed  to the  complete  prohibition  of the illegal fishing  gears  trade prohibition across Ukraine   is coming to the end.  Soon  after  that  the project of the Ministry of Economy  of Ukraine Resolution “About the amendments to the  trade regulations  in the markets” which is the base  document  for all of  the regional local councils  must come in force. Project of this resolution has been already agreed and signed in the Ministry of the Internal Affairs, State Tax Administration and State Consumer Standards and now it is in the process of the registration in the Justice Department.