In Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula, a pristine wilderness famed for its volcanoes and brown bears, the traditional season of wild berry picking has escalated into a ruthless and destructive industry. Authorities are sounding the alarm as a surge in illegal harvesting threatens to unravel the region’s delicate ecosystem, creating a dangerous conflict between humans and wildlife.
The core of the problem lies with poachers driven by profit, who are using barbaric methods to strip the land bare. Armed with illegal tools such as metal “scoops” and “combs,” they rake entire bushes, tearing off not only the berries but also the leaves and branches. This aggressive technique causes irreversible damage, and after just a few seasons of such exploitation, the once-bountiful berry patches are rendered barren, turning into lifeless zones incapable of regeneration.
This widespread environmental destruction has severe consequences for the local fauna, especially the region’s iconic brown bears, which rely on the berry harvest to fatten up for the harsh winter. Deprived of their natural food source, the starving predators are increasingly being forced out of the forests and into human settlements in a desperate search for food, creating a significant and immediate danger for local communities.
In response, the Kamchatka regional ministry of forestry and hunting has launched a large-scale enforcement operation. Patrols have been intensified, and inspectors are now equipped with modern technology, including drones to monitor vast, remote territories and body cameras to document violations. “This barbaric harvesting delivers a double blow,” stated Vsevolod Voropanov, the head of the forestry and hunting control department. “Soon there will be nothing left for people to gather, and the bears will have nothing to eat.”
Under current law, any action that harms fruit-bearing trees and shrubs is strictly prohibited. Violators face not only administrative fines but also the full confiscation of their harvest and illicit tools. Furthermore, they are legally required to compensate the state for the total ecological damage caused, a sum that can far exceed the initial fine. Officials are urging a return to responsible stewardship, reminding the public that the forest’s bounty is a vital resource shared by both people and the countless animal species that call Kamchatka home.