Poachers from the Vitebsk region will pay Br6.9 million for crayfish.

September 7, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo – BELTA/. Not three, not five rubles, but Br6.9 million must be paid for crayfish by unfortunate fishermen from the Vitebsk region, the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora told a BELTA correspondent. In June, two friends decided to fish with a dragnet on one of the lakes in the Gluboksky district. 51 crayfish were caught in the net, the catching of which was prohibited at that time. The total weight of the catch was 1.9 kg. As the inspectors calculated, the poachers caused damage to nature in the amount of Br2.7 million. Given the particularly large size of the damage, a criminal case was initiated against the fishermen. The court of the Gluboksky district found both violators of environmental legislation guilty and sentenced each to a fine of Br2.1 million. Taking into account the damage, the total amount to be compensated was Br6.9 million. Thus, one crayfish cost almost Br135 thousand. And if in Mikhail Zhvanetsky's famous interlude the hero had to agonize over choosing between small crayfish for three rubles and very large ones for five, then the unfortunate fishermen will not have to choose – the court's sentence has entered into legal force. For 7 months of the current year, inspectors identified 2.3 thousand violations of environmental legislation in the region. Most violations were committed by fishermen – 1.4 thousand. 75.5 km of nets and 2.1 tons of illegally caught fish were seized. -0-