Agriculture Ministry Drafts New Rules For Anglers

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has submitted for public discussion a draft decree that amends the rules for managing fisheries and for recreational fishing. The discussion is taking place on the legal forum until 8 January.

In particular, the draft proposes the following changes to the Rules of Recreational Fishing:

• abolishing the requirement to set catch quotas when organizing paid recreational fishing. This is explained by the fact that, in practice, anglers do not return completed permits, and verifying the accuracy of such permits is not feasible;
• adding silver crucian carp to the list of invasive fish species that may be caught without limits on weight or quantity, as it has effectively displaced the common crucian carp;

The draft specifies that fish caught in excess of the norm established by this paragraph must be immediately returned to their natural habitat (directly at the place of capture) with minimal injury, regardless of their condition.

The spawning ban period in the Vitebsk region would be shifted from 10 April to 1 April, bringing it in line with the rest of the country.

During the discussion, the ministry additionally proposes that participants express their views on the following issues:

• introducing a daily catch limit per angler for certain fish species in individual specimens — for example, catfish: 1 specimen; zander and asp: up to 3 specimens; pike: up to 5 specimens;
• proposals regarding the introduction of a unified fishing permit;
• banning “ekran” fishing nets (screen-type traps).