In the Vitebsk region, fishing for burbot will be prohibited from December 25 until the end of winter
From December 25, 2020, to February 28, 2021, a ban on burbot fishing is introduced in the Vitebsk region, reported Vyacheslav Soldatov, Deputy Head of the Inspectorate - Head of the State Control Department of the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora.
Burbot fishing is prohibited with all fishing gear. It is also forbidden to be within 1 km of the shore of fishing grounds with this type of fish.
The ban is introduced to preserve resources and create favorable conditions for fish reproduction. Catching burbot during the ban will cost violators a large sum - 27 base units (1 BU - Br27) for each individual.
The burbot is the only freshwater representative of the cod family. It spawns in small schools consisting of a female and several males. It spawns in shallow areas (riffles) with fast currents and sandy or rocky bottoms. Spawning occurs from late December to February. In severe frosts, spawning is more active, during thaws it stretches for a month or more.