Two poachers were intercepted before they could expand their illegal fishing operations in the Ust-Bolsheretsky District on the western coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Inspectors apprehended the individuals on the Plotnikova River as they were conducting operations using a motorized rubber boat and a fishing net. At the time of the inspection, the men had caught three sockeye salmon.
Authorities confiscated the illegally caught fish, the motorized boat, and the fishing net. An administrative offense protocol has been filed against the individuals involved in the incident.
Environmental regulations in Kamchatka impose strict financial penalties for illegal fishing. The fine for a single illegally caught sockeye salmon, regardless of its size or weight, is 11,575 rubles. Penalties for other illegally harvested species are assessed per fish: Chinook and coho salmon – 10,635 rubles, chum salmon – 2,009 rubles, pink salmon – 961 rubles, and char – 925 rubles. Furthermore, the standard penalty for calculating environmental damage for one kilogram of red caviar is set at 27,455 rubles.