On the Danube River and Dniester Liman, law enforcement officials discovered three individuals involved in illegal fishing activities. According to preliminary estimates, their actions caused the state damages exceeding 1 million 300 thousand hryvnias, as reported by the police.

The first incident occurred at the mouth of the Danube near the city of Vylkove. The Water Police of the Izmail district detained two local men, aged 45 and 57, who were catching Black Sea sprat using nets from a boat without any required permits. The offenders had their vessel, four nets totaling 300 meters in length, and 50 kilograms of fish confiscated.

On the same day, on the shores of Dniester Liman near the village of Kalagliya, the Water Police of the Odessa district, in cooperation with border guards, apprehended a 60-year-old resident of the Ovidiopol community. He was fishing for pike perch, bream, sprat, and perch using eight gill nets. Authorities seized 798 meters of nets, a boat, and over 300 fish from him.

"According to ecological experts, the men from Izmail caused damages of 500 thousand hryvnias, while the resident of Ovidiopol caused more than 800 thousand. Investigations have been initiated under part 1 of article 249 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal fishing). The penalty for this offense can be up to three years of restriction of liberty. The investigation is ongoing under the procedural guidance of the Izmail and Black Sea district prosecutors" - stated in the report.

Law enforcement reminds that from April 1, a spawning ban is in effect in the region, meaning that fishing for aquatic biological resources during this period is strictly prohibited. It was also reported that from April 20, restrictions on the catch of sprat will come into force.