Фото: gosinspekciya.gov.by
In Mstsislau District, officers of the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Animal and Plant Life detained a man who was illegally catching broad-clawed crayfish, a species listed in the Red Book of Belarus.
According to the inspectorate’s information, the offender used 17 crayfish traps. Inspectors found 740 broad-clawed crayfish with a total weight of 24.5 kilograms. The environmental damage caused was estimated at 3,330 basic units.
After the detention, inspectors released 411 live crayfish back into their natural habitat.
The detained man admitted that he knew he was catching a protected species but did so for financial gain. According to him, he used the crayfish as a “living currency” to pay for various services.
The Mstsislau District Department of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the man under Part 4 of Article 281 of Belarus’ Criminal Code.
The State Inspectorate noted that three crayfish species inhabit Belarus: the broad-clawed crayfish, which is listed in the Red Book, as well as the narrow-clawed crayfish and the American signal crayfish.
The broad-clawed crayfish has a smooth shell without spines, with small tubercles along the edges, and broad, powerful claws. The narrow-clawed crayfish is covered with spines and tubercles, and its claws are long and narrow. The signal crayfish is considered an invasive species and can easily be identified by a white or blue-green patch at the fork of its claws and pale reddish-brown stripes on its abdomen.
Catching broad-clawed crayfish is prohibited, while catching narrow-clawed crayfish is permitted provided the established rules are followed, including limits on catch size, the number of traps and fishing methods.