The moratorium on industrial fishing and the harvesting of other aquatic bioresources—implemented in connection with the spawning period—has officially come to an end, with the open fishing season starting on September 1.
Sea-news.az reports that Ceyhun Aliyev, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Center, announced this to journalists.
According to the “Rules for the Catching of Fish and Other Aquatic Bioresources,” approved by a Cabinet of Ministers decision from June 2, 2017, the seasonal fishing ban in the Caspian Sea, Kura River, Sarisu Lake, and the Mingachevir, Shamkir, Arakhs, and Yenikend reservoirs concluded on September 1.
Fishing activities in these specified water basins are officially declared open starting September 1. Fishers are urged to thoroughly adhere to existing regulations and conduct their activities strictly within the framework of the law. To prevent illegal fishing and safeguard aquatic bioresources, regular joint monitoring measures are being carried out across the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea and internal water bodies by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Center and the Ministry of Interior’s Water Transport Police Department.
Authorities reminded the public that violations of fishing rules, including illegal harvesting, entail administrative and criminal liability under the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Center calls on all physical and legal entities to respect established regulations, avoid fishing during prohibited times or with banned gear, and refrain from engaging in fishing without the proper permits. Citizens are also encouraged to report any instances of illegal fishing to the relevant authorities to help preserve the country’s fish stocks.
