In Russia’s remote and ecologically vital Kamchatka Peninsula, authorities are escalating their fight against the illegal fishing trade that threatens one of the world’s most pristine salmon habitats. Over a single weekend, fishery inspectors uncovered two major poaching operations, highlighting the persistent struggle between conservation efforts and criminal activity in the Far East.
The operations, which took place on the Bystraya and Bolshaya rivers, resulted in the seizure of nearly 150 illegally caught salmon. According to the North-Eastern Territorial Directorate of the Federal Agency for Fishery, the poachers caused a combined environmental and economic damage estimated at over 390,000 rubles. Both incidents have led to official investigations, with materials being handed over to police to pursue criminal charges.
In the first case, inspectors on the Bystraya River apprehended a man who was using a net and a rowboat to illegally harvest fish without a license. He had already caught 32 pink salmon, 6 sockeye, and 9 chum salmon. The damage from this single poacher was assessed at more than 118,000 rubles.
A day later, on the Bolshaya River, a more significant discovery was made. Inspectors found an abandoned metal boat equipped with a motor and a large net filled with 97 salmon. The individuals involved in this large-scale operation managed to flee the scene, but their actions resulted in an estimated loss to the state exceeding 274,000 rubles.
In response to the incidents, authorities have confiscated all illegal fishing gear, boats, and the poached fish, which have been sent to storage. Administrative proceedings have been initiated in both cases, which are now being elevated to criminal investigations, signaling a firm stance against the depletion of Kamchatka’s invaluable aquatic biodiversity.