The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved an increase in fines for illegal fishing, the size of the penalty for illegal fishing of one or another type of aquatic biological resources was revised depending on its rarity and economic value and increased significantly. This measure will bring the legislation in line with the current economic realities.
The government adopted the resolution, amending government resolution No. 1209 dated Nov. 21, 2011 on the approval of taxes for calculating the amount of compensation for harm caused as a result of illegal extraction (collection) or destruction of valuable types of aquatic biological resources, at a meeting on Oct. 6.
According to an explanatory note to the document, the fine for illegal fishing of silver carp will grow 93 times (from Hr 17 to 1,580), perch – 186 times (from Hr 17 to Hr 3,160), rudd – 23 times (from Hr 68 to Hr 1,560), bream – 9.7 times (from Hr 170 to Hr 1,650), pike – 10.2 times (from Hr 340 to Hr 3,470), catfish – 12 times (from Hr 425 to Hr 5,120), crayfish – 130 times (from Hr 25.50 to Hr 3,330), etc.
The document clarifies that the previously existing fines for this offense do not correspond to the existing economic situation in the country and do not induce violators to stop illegal activities. Thus, the growth of liability for illegal fishing will ensure rational use of natural resources and sustainable development of fisheries.
In addition, the implementation of the resolution will increase receipts from compensation for losses caused to the fisheries of Ukraine to local budgets.
According to the data on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the state policy in relation to persons resorting to illegal fishing will be increasingly toughened in the future.
“Mass poaching of aquatic biological resources poses a huge threat to the national ecological security of Ukraine, and the restraining levers have not yet worked as they should. It is easier for a poacher to pay a fine, because it amounted to 0.000001% of their earnings. In some years, poachers could a year to get the same amount of fish as all the fishing industrial enterprises of Ukraine together,” the ministry said, quoting its minister Roman Leshchenko.
