Today, Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, took part in the press conference "Illegal Poaching in Ukraine" held by the Fishers Association of Ukraine and Kyiv Environmental-Cultural Center.
As it is known, Mykola Tomenko is an author of the amendments to the legislation of Ukraine, strengthening the criminal liability for any kinds of poaching and introducing criminal liability for the use of explosive, poisonous and anesthetic agents, barbed, leaden and trap-like tools of catching, electric fishing systems, and electric fishing rods.
However, Mykola Tomenko is convinced that development of poaching in Ukraine is supported by the mass sale of the national and foreign fishing gears - anesthetic agents, barbed, leaden and trap-like tools of catching, electric fishing systems, and electric fishing rods. He announced that the specialized Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine upheld the bill "On Amendments to the Law "On Fauna" (re Strengthening of Protection and Rational Use of Fauna, and Poaching Counteraction) (Reg. No.6458-1). According to the Deputy Chairman, the bill was drafted at the request of several environmental organizations. It supplements the effective Law with a new clause that prohibits advertising, manufacture, sale, import, export and use of poisonous and anesthetic agents, barbed, leaden 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 also announced that the bill would be scrutinized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on November 4.
The participants of the conference saw nearly 100 fishing gear systems, and watched video materials on poaching counteraction. New legislative initiatives on the strengthening of protection and rational use of fauna were presented during the conference.