Video from the Danube: poachers catch Danube fish with nets despite spawning ban
2 May 11:26
On the Ukrainian-Romanian border, near the ferry crossing, massive use of nets for illegal fishing of Danube herring, known as dunaika, was recorded. Eyewitnesses told [Komersant] that the river was literally covered with nets, despite the established spawning ban.
The spawning season for the Danube herring, known as dunaika, is currently underway. This fish enters the Danube from the Black Sea to breed from March to June. According to ecologists, the Danube herring lays its eggs in the water column, which makes it particularly vulnerable to massive catch during spawning.
According to the Odesa Fish Protection Patrol, a temporary ban on commercial herring fishing on the Danube and Dniester rivers is in effect:
- from April 20 to May 9, 2025, a ban on commercial herring fishing in certain sections of the Danube and Dniester rivers, as well as in the Dniester estuary and the Turunchu arm;
- from April 20 to April 29 – from the mouth of the Danube River to the Tulchynska branch;
- from April 20 to May 9 – upstream of the Danube River from the Tulchynska branch;
- from April 20 to April 29 – in the Dniester River from the village of Palanca to the dam of the Dubasari hydroelectric power station;
- from April 20 to April 24 – in the Dniester estuary, Turunchuk arm and the main channel of the Dniester River from the mouth to Palanca village (28 km mark).
Despite the ban, poachers are actively using nets to catch Danube, which not only violates the law but also threatens the population of this valuable fish.
According to eyewitnesses, the nets are set everywhere, which indicates the scale of the problem.
“This is pure poaching, it’s not right,” said one eyewitness.
According to media reports, the annual quota for Ukrainian fishing companies to catch Danube mullet is 510 tons. However, due to uncontrolled fishing and poaching, the actual volumes may exceed the established limits, which negatively affects the ecological balance of the river.
It should be noted that the Odesa Fish Protection Patrol constantly detains poachers who catch Danube fish. Thus, on April 14, near the village of Kalahlia, Odesa district, on the Dniester Estuary, a citizen was illegally wading for aquatic bioresources using prohibited gear – 4 nets with a total length of 500 meters.
The offender caught almost 200 pieces of Black Sea herring. The total amount of damage caused to the fishery of Ukraine amounted to UAH 494,955.
Environmentalists are calling for stricter enforcement of fishing bans during spawning and measures to prevent poaching to preserve the Danube’s unique ecosystem and ensure sustainable use of its resources in the future.
