Crayfish Catching Rules.

The Verkhnedvinsk Interdistrict Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora reports that, in accordance with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated January 20, 2016, No. 36 "On Amendments and Additions to the Rules for the Extraction, Harvesting and (or) Purchase of Wild Animals Not Classified as Hunting and Fishing Objects, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated June 2, 2006, No. 699," the procedure and rules for the extraction of long-clawed (narrow-clawed) crayfish have been established.

It is prohibited:

- to catch long-clawed (narrow-clawed) crayfish in the fishing grounds of the Vitebsk region – from April 10 to June 8,

- to catch egg-bearing females and females with larvae throughout the year.

- to catch individuals with a body length of less than 10.5 cm (from the rostrum to the telson) at any time of the year;

- for citizens to catch crayfish for personal purposes using more than three crayfish traps per person;

- to extract more than two kilograms per day;

- to leave crayfish traps unattended;

- to extract using lighting devices during dark hours;

- to catch by hand during dark hours;

- to use any other means of extracting wild animals, except for crayfish traps (by citizens for personal purposes)

"Crayfish trap" means a device for catching crayfish, which is a mesh square (circle) with a diagonal (diameter) of no more than 100 centimeters with bait attached in the center (open-type lift net) or a trap (no more than 100 cm in length) with one or more (no more than 5) entrances with an entrance opening diameter of no more than 70 centimeters (closed-type).

The extraction of broad-clawed crayfish is PROHIBITED!

For additional information or to report poaching, please contact the Verkhnedvinsk Interdistrict Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora by calling the "hotline" at 6 17 23 or at the address: Verkhnedvinsk, Sovetskaya St., bldg. 193/2.

           Deputy Head of the Inspectorate                                                         V.A. Goncheronok