The Lepel Inter-district Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora reminds that on March 1, 2019, the ban on fishing burbot, related to the spawning of this fish species, ends.
Burbot is perhaps the most unusual fish in Belarus. Externally, it somewhat resembles a catfish, but burbot belongs to the cod family; its relatives are exclusively marine fish, inhabitants of the harsh northern seas, therefore, burbot activity and spawning are observed with the freezing of water bodies. Spawning occurs from late December to February under the ice, at a temperature of 1-3 °C. They spawn in small shoals, consisting of one large female and several males, usually in shallow areas with fast currents and sandy or stony bottom. Larvae hatch at the beginning of the flood, which in turn leads to mass death of larvae, their being carried out to the floodplain, where they subsequently dry out and die; also, a large number of larvae are eaten by perch and ruff. Therefore, despite the high fertility of burbot, the survival rate of its larvae is low. There are not many burbot here, and after the anomalously hot years that have passed, there are even fewer of them; they tolerate high water temperatures very poorly.
During the ban on burbot fishing, the Lepel Inter-district Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora identified cases of illegal catching of this fish species. For example, in February of this year, a resident of Lepel district caught 3 burbot specimens in the Essa River in Chashniki district. Since the damage caused to the environment during the ban is calculated at triple the rate, the offender will have to pay 27 base units for each burbot specimen, which amounted to 81 base units (2065 rubles 50 kopecks) in total. The offender also faces a fine of up to 50 base units.