The police of Poltava region took 3.5 million UAH from poachers during the raid of the Kremenchuk sea (Video, Photo)

At the end of March, the information agency ASPI news appealed to the head of the police of the Poltava region, police general of the 3rd rank, Yevhen Rohachev, with a request to assist in conducting a journalistic investigation into illegal fishing in the region's reservoirs.

In general, our journalists are interested in and follow this problem throughout Ukraine, but the Poltava police were the first to allow our representatives to take part in the raid, during which violators were detained. On April 4, the police, together with representatives of the ASPI news agency, conducted a joint patrol with service boat FINVAL-505 No. 17/4 along the route of the water area of the Sula River within the boundaries of Lypove-Lyashchivka-Dem'anivka settlements, in general, this refers to the Kremenchug Reservoir.

Journalist Anatoliy Budnik and veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war Mykhailo Slipchenko (call sign "historian") were recruited from the editorial office during the raid. During the raid, 320 meters of poaching nets were officially discovered, in which there were about 100 kg of fish. An additional team of National Police officers was called to the scene. Preliminary - the total amount of damage - UAH 3,444,259. Prohibited fishing tools were seized by the National Police in order to prevent further destruction of biological resources, the seized fish were transferred to the state for sale.

Mykhailo Slipchenko explained: "On the territory of the Kremenchug Reservoir in the area of the strategic object - the dam - near the village of Lypove, a gang of poachers is defiantly destroying the resources of Ukraine. Despite the ban on fishing, despite spawning, thieves with the help of nets and special equipment rob our reserve, catching tons of fish. Yesterday we had a raid together with the National Police, more than 600 meters of nets and 150 kg of fish were seized. Damages - almost 3.5 million hryvnias. We appeal to the poachers, we know your "roof" - the couple, which we will not name yet. Our raids will continue until you withdraw from our natural resources.''

The police representative added: "Since the beginning of the introduction of martial law, when fishing was prohibited on the reservoir, we have issued 76 administrative materials on violators, all of which have been paid. This money will go to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In general, Poltava Oblast ranks 7th in Ukraine by the area of water bodies, the largest being the Kremenchug Sea. Unfortunately, 90% of citizens from surrounding settlements are poaching. The whole sea is fenced off with nets."

Anatoly Budnik summarized: "The village of Lypove, Poltava region. After the raid, the police pulled out more than 700 m of nets and more than 100 kg of fish. This is almost 3.5 million hryvnias. We remind you that now is spawning, you can't fish anywhere. The locals told us that all the fish is bought by their spouses, who then deliver the fish for industrial processing. And this, let me remind you, is a nature reserve where you can't catch anything at all."