Work has begun on establishing the first marine national park in Azerbaijan.
Sea-news.az reports that Rashad Allahverdiyev, Deputy Head of the Service for Protection of Biodiversity under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, stated this during panel discussions at the 1st Aquaculture Forum.
According to him, the marine area in that zone will be incorporated into the national park, ensuring protection of the sea territory, conducting routine patrols, and preventing illegal fishing: “We are focused on coastal and marine ecosystems. For your information, Absheron National Park, the smallest national park in the country, is the closest one to Baku and covers an area of 700 hectares. We have already initiated work to create the first marine national park in the country. The sea area in that territory will be included in the national park, which means guaranteeing the protection of the marine zone, carrying out specific raids, and suppressing illegal fishing.”
R. Allahverdiyev noted that actions are being actively implemented to combat illegal fishing: “The main operational focus here involves the sanitary protection zones of protected areas, where a specific protection regime is enforced. Stricter enforcement of security and additional measures are planned for those zones. Another key area is transitioning to a more stringent protection regime during fish spawning seasons. While the protection regime remains in effect 365 days a year, duty schedules shift to a 24/7 regime during spawning periods and other critical windows to prevent any unauthorized entry into those areas.”
