People´s Deputies M.Tomenko, A.Semynoha, V.Danylenko and O.Horoshkevych registered the bill "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Fauna" (re enhancement of poaching prevention) (Reg. No. 6458-1) at request of several environmental organizations and by the results of the round table discussion "Enhancement and Implementation of Ukrainian Legislation on Prevention of Gross Violations of Fishing Rules."
M.Tomenko believes that topicality of the bill is caused by the threatening rates of poaching in Ukraine. "In the result of mass poaching, population of many game animals has lately shortened by 30-70%. Fishing poachers annually trap 197 thousand tons of fish in fresh water, the Black and the Azov Seas, which equals its commercial catch", he stated.
M.Tomenko believes that rapid growth of poaching is facilitated by mass sale of domestically produced and imported poaching tools, such as electric fishing-rods, self-activating traps, traps, synthetic fishing nets. He stressed that 100 thousand poaching tools are annually confiscated in Ukraine, while up to 10 million prohibited fishing tools are still kept by the poachers. Moreover, these tools are cheap, and usually are thrown away after a one-time use. Thus, the bottoms of water bodies accumulate kilometres of disposed synthetic fishing nets which are slowly decomposing and still catching the fish. "Import of poaching tools in Ukraine, such as synthetic fishing nets, electric fishing-rods and traps, is equally harmful", the authors of the bill state. Its topicality is explained by the necessity of imposing a legislative ban on manufacture, sale and use of poaching tools, as well as import of traps, synthetic fishing nets and electric fishing-rods for the purpose of poaching.
The bill "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Fauna" (re enhancement of poaching prevention) prohibits manufacture, sale and use of poisonous and anaesthetic agents, barbed, leadening and trap-like tools of catching, electric fishing systems (electric fishing rod), explosives, bird lime and synthetic nets. The bill also prohibits import of widely-spread poaching tools: synthetic fishing nets, electric fishing-rods and traps.
M.Tomenko believes that prohibition of import of synthetic fishing nets and electric fishing-rods together with simultaneous ban on its manufacture and free sale can become effective anti-poaching means.