On the establishment of a ban on fishing for all types of fish in 2025

The Verkhnedvinsk Interdistrict Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora informs that in order to preserve fish resources and create favorable conditions for fish reproduction, in accordance with paragraph 30 of the Rules of Amateur Fishing, fishing is prohibited in the Vitebsk region from April 10 to June 08, in the Brest and Gomel regions from March 20 to May 18, in the Minsk, Mogilev and Grodno regions, as well as in the city of Minsk from April 01 to May 30, 2024, with the exception of fishing:

with one rod with one hook or one spinning rod equipped with one artificial lure, having no more than two single, or double, or treble hooks, during daylight hours from the shore (without entering the water, except for cases specified below), from ice, artificial structures (except for railway bridges, dams, near locks, pumping stations, other hydraulic structures, for which restrictions and prohibitions on economic activities are established, at a distance of less than 50 meters in both directions from the boundaries of the specified technical structures).

Entering the water is allowed if it is not directly related to fishing (unhooking the lure, bypassing obstacles).
It is permitted to use a landing net to lift fish from the water caught with the above-mentioned permitted amateur fishing gear.
Violation of these Rules entails responsibility under Part 1 of Article 16.25 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus:

- entails a fine of 10 to 30 base units, with confiscation of the tools for catching fish or other aquatic animals and other items that served as the tool or means of committing the specified violation, or without confiscation; for an individual entrepreneur - from 20 to 100 base units, with confiscation of the tools for catching fish or other aquatic animals and other items that served as the tool or means of committing the specified violation, or without confiscation; and for a legal entity - from 100 to 500 base units, with confiscation of the tools for catching fish or other aquatic animals and other items that served as the tool or means of committing the specified violation, or without confiscation.

Environmental damage caused during the spring fishing ban is calculated at triple the amount.
For example: for the illegal catch of one bream during the spring ban, the offender faces a minimum fine of 420 rubles and damages of 378 rubles, regardless of the fish's size and weight. Thus, one fish weighing 200g can cost the offender a considerable sum, impacting the family budget.

During the spring fishing ban, the use of small vessels and vessels with outboard engines in fishing grounds is prohibited.
During the spawning period, the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora under the President of the Republic of Belarus conducts a special comprehensive event "Spawning". All possible efforts will be made to ensure favorable conditions for fish populations for reproduction and continuous renewal.
One of the most important tasks is to prevent violations of environmental legislation and to prevent poaching fishing gear from entering water bodies. For this purpose, large-scale preventive work will be carried out.

Special attention will be paid to the storage and use of prohibited fishing gear. The storage of such gear entails administrative liability under Art. 16.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus, the sanctions of which provide for a fine of up to 30 base units with confiscation of the object of the administrative offense for individuals.

A person who voluntarily surrenders prohibited fishing gear (nets, traps, seines, etc.) is exempted from administrative liability.
For additional information or about facts of poaching, please contact the Verkhnedvinsk Inter-district Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora by calling the "hotline" 6 17 23 or at the address: Verkhnedvinsk, Sovetskaya St., 193/2.

Deputy Head of Verkhnedvinsk Inter-district Inspectorate V.A. Goncheronok