VALUABLE FISH TYPES ARE UNDER THREAT

Silver Taiga representatives’ article was published in the last issue of Sustainable Forest Management. The article presented a possible reduction in the number of salmon in the Northern Fisheries Basin due to the new federal law. Тhe law creates legal opportunities to a substantial reduction of spawning protective forest lines to the width of the water protection zones. The Northern Fisheries Basin is located in Arkhangelsk Region, Nenets Autonomous District, Murmansk Region, Republics of Karelia and Komi. An Educational Coordinator Nikolay Shilov and a GIS-Specialist of the Silver Taiga Foundation Alexander Borovlev have made a research on estimating possible reduction of spawning protective forest lines and the potential negative consequences for the ecological environment as well as for economy of the above listed regions due to possible decrease of Salmon population.

According to the research results if the forest area loses the former conservation status of a spawning protective forest line it might be cut down. Deforestation might lead to the catastrophic consequences.

73 million rubles a year will be needed for the juvenile salmon cultivation and production for at least 10-15 years. Nikolai Shilov considers that the biggest risk might occur in the upper rivers and in small tributaries, where the width of the water protection zone is minimal.