A joint inspection team from the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery and the Bolshaya River Association detained two individuals illegally harvesting Chinook and chum salmon in the Ust-Bolsheretsky district of Kamchatka. The suspects were apprehended near the village of Karymai while using two rubber boats and a net to extract the fish.
Authorities confiscated the watercraft and fishing gear, along with a catch consisting of four Chinook salmon and one chum salmon, placing the items in secure storage. All case materials have been forwarded to local law enforcement to initiate criminal proceedings against the individuals involved.
The Bolshaya River Association was established in 2016 when commercial fishing enterprises operating in western Kamchatka united to combat illegal harvesting. The organization focuses its enforcement efforts on the Bolshaya and Opala river basins – an area that has historically faced the most severe poaching pressure on the peninsula. The association currently comprises ten regional fishing companies.