Fishing enterprises in Kamchatka have formed a new association, Protection of the West, to combat poaching on the rivers of the peninsula’s western coast. The establishment of this entity has combined the financial and technical resources of legitimate businesses and the state to counter the illegal harvesting of salmon species.
Kamchatka Territory Minister of Fisheries Andrey Zdetovetsky announced the launch of the environmental initiative ahead of a specialized session at the Eastern Economic Forum. Regional authorities have already approved plans for individual companies to participate in patrolling the waterways. Expanding the network of such coalitions provides an opportunity to direct additional funds toward the regular protection of spawning grounds along the Sea of Okhotsk.
The peninsula is currently experiencing the salmon run – a period of mass fish migration from the ocean into freshwater rivers. A specialized headquarters operates around the clock in the region during this time. Fishery protection inspectors, law enforcement officers, and supervisory authorities conduct joint raids along remote shores, and representatives of the new association will now join these efforts. Their main objective is to disrupt the activities of shadow brigades, which are primarily interested in the illegal extraction of red caviar.