Caught not fish but trouble: in the Mykolaiv region a hapless fisherman "got hit" for more than 700,000

In the Mykolaiv region during the spring spawning ban, ecologists and border guards recorded another case of illegal fish harvesting. The violation occurred in the waters of the Buzkyi Lyman near the village of Parutyne, Mykolaiv district, where, according to specialists’ estimates, the state suffered damage of over 707 thousand hryvnias. This was reported on 24 May 2026 by the State Ecological Inspection of the South-Western District.

According to the inspection, state inspectors for environmental protection together with representatives of the State Border Guard Service VSP 26th border detachment continue patrols on water bodies during the spawning period. It was during such operations that on 23 May 2026 illegal harvesting of live aquatic biological resources was discovered near Parutyne.

As noted by the eco-inspection, a citizen illegally took 206 specimens of puzanka, 124 specimens of taran (bream), as well as pikeperch and herring. Such actions during the spawning ban are especially dangerous for water bodies, because it is precisely during this period that fish reproduce the population, and mass harvesting directly hits future stocks of aquatic biological resources.

State inspectors drew up a protocol against the violator under Part 4 of Article 85 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. This provision concerns gross violations of fishing rules. Case materials are to be sent to the judicial authorities, which will make the further decision regarding responsibility.

Specialists calculated the amount of damages in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No.1042 of 29 September 2023. The total amount of damage caused to the state due to illegal fishing amounted to over 707 thousand hryvnias.

Reminder: in the territory of the Mykolaiv region preventive measures within the spawning ban on the harvesting of aquatic biological resources continue from 1 April to 19 June 2026. Just the day before, the police reported the seizure during raids of 83 nets, 7 vessels and almost 700 kilograms of fish.

This case again shows that poaching on the waters of the Mykolaiv region remains not a minor offense but serious harm to nature and the state. Especially during spawning, when each illegal harvest means the loss not only of the specific fish, but also of future replenishment of water bodies.

Previously we wrote:

• Spawning ban? Never heard of it: 83 nets, 7 vessels and caught fish seized from poachers
• Three poachers caught on the Southern Bug: catch worth 322 thousand hryvnias during the spawning ban
• Caught crayfish – Mykolaiv residents face astronomical fines or three years in prison
• Caught with a net: a fisherman near Korenykha hit with a 110 thousand hryvnia fine
• Fishing worth 112 thousand: a Mykolaiv resident wanted to catch fish for dinner, but instead received a criminal case