2019 has been declared the International Year of Salmon by the community of scientists and ecologists. The Association of Interests “We” from the Usogorsk Children Activity Center responded to the call to highlight the need to preserve the salmon population. Read more
Nikolai Shilov, Model River Mezen project Coordinator of the Silver Taiga Foundation, has told about it at the Round Table “Rural Areas Development”. The discussion held in the village of Ust-Kulom on November 19, 2019 in the frame of the reporting and election conference of the Ust-Kulomsky office of the interregional social movement Komi Voityr (Komi People). Read more
Annual results, areas of focus and plans for the upcoming year were discussed by the Working Group of the Sustainable Fish Resource Management in Cooperation with Local Communities: Model River Mezen project.
Silver Taiga field trip season was finished with an expedition to the upper reaches of the Mezen River (including its tributaries Upper and Lower Puzla), Elva Mezenskaya and Pyssa. The aim of a week-long tour (September 29 to October 6) was to monitor the Atlantic salmon spawning grounds under Model River Mezen project. The monitoring at the given area is being conducted since 2011. Read more
It has become a tradition to conduct an ichthyological school for children every year under Model River Mezen project. This year the ichthyological school was held on the basis of the republican ecological camp MOROSHKA in Ust-Nem village (Ust-Kulom district of Komi).
During five days the schoolchildren studied the elements of hydrobiology, general ichthyology and the peculiarities of the certain fish species with the guidance of the Model River Mezen project coordinator Nikolay Shilov. Besides, the schoolchildren worked in the field conditions. They went fishing, got materials for further investigation, tried to define the species and the age of the fish, studied fish morphology and physiology, tested the water quality with the help of the short-term tests. The schoolchildren presented the results of their work in the banner and put it in the center of the village.
It should be noted, that the administration of the ecological camp put in place all the necessary arrangements for the ichthyological school. The camp is well organized and its staff members are highly qualified.
Testing the water
An excursion
The representatives from Leshukonje district of Arkhangelsk region won the intellectual game held by skype in Udora library on July 15. The competitors were young people from Udora district of Komi.
Udora team
The game is being held for the third year in a row with Silver Taiga support under Model River Mezen project. About 20 questions were proposed by the project Working Group members. The questions were about the Mezen fish population, fishing equipment, traditional folk crafts, history of the Mezen villages, etc. According to the member of the game jury, a head of Udora environmental department of the Ministry of Nature of Komi, the most difficult questions were about the Mezen fish population.
Every participant of the game got an official message of thanks and the prize from the Silver Taiga Foundation.
Messages of thanks and prizes from the Silver Taiga Foundation
The participants of the round table meeting held in Kamenka village (Mezen district of Arkhangelsk region) under the Mezen Day Festival on July 13, 2019 exchanged their opinions concerning the cooperation between the local population of Mezen and Leshukonje districts of Arkhangelsk region and Udora district of Komi. All these districts participate in the Model River Mezen project.
The use of the Mezen river resources and other fishery problems were discussed during the meeting. Model River Mezen project coordinator Nikolay Shilov told about AgroUdora cooperative experience. Thanks to the participation in the cooperative Udora fishermen got opportunities to rent their traditional plots for fishing. Moreover, the cooperative has a right to conduct melioration measures in the given areas. Besides, commercial fishing gives access to different state grants.
N. Shilov proposed to cooperate in the field of examination, conservation and use of water and fish resources as the issue of the fishery regulation implementation is urgent for both regions.
Nikolay Shilov (the first to the left)
It became clear during the meeting that there is a great man-caused impact on rivers in Mezen settlements of Arkhangelsk region. Moreover, the number of tourists who fish illegally has increased and the fishery inspectors fail to stand it. According to N. Shilov public inspectors can help to get through the poaching. Such experience is already functioning in Murmansk region.
The representatives of Arkhangelsk region proposed cooperation in the field of ecological-educational activities. They are interested in the Silver Taiga experience of the ichthyological school for children. Besides, according to the participants there are great possibilities of the interregional cooperation with respect to the tourism development (extremal, sports-oriented, fishery and ecological).
Photo by Sergey Davydov
A delegation from Komi including Silver Taiga representatives took part in the Mezen Day Festival 2019. This year the festival was held in Kamenka village (Mezen district of Arkhangelsk region) with the financial support of Silver Taiga Foundation and the Mezen district administration.
Komi delegation
The Mezen Day Festival is being conducted by Silver Taiga Foundation for the third year in a row under Model River Mezen Project. In the begging of 2019 Silver Taiga Foundation announced a competition of the Mezen Day 2019 projects. The territorial self-government from Kamenka village won the competition.
Kamenka village is located on the left bank of Mezen River, 40 km from the White Sea. To get Kamenka the delegation from Komi had to cover about 1000 km. There is no bridge to Kamenka across the river as the level of water here is fluctuant. The group from Komi, for example, came at the moment of a low water level and it was possible to cross the river only by big fishery boats. Local activists from Udora district of Komi came by the self-made boat just to the opening of the Festival and that was very impressively. Totally more than 300 people participated in the Festival.
Activists from Udora district of Komi
The amateur-talent groups provided entertainment for the audience for more than 2 hours. The Republic of Komi was represented by Anna Uljanova, a specialist of Komi Cultural Center. She sang Komi songs and was warmly met by the participants.
Anna Uljanova
Besides, different contests, degustation of local fish, berries and baking were held during the day. Local craftsmen sold their goods and conducted masterclasses. All the participants tasted a fresh fish soup prepared on the open fire.
Preparation of the fish soup
Goods of the local craftsmen
The most interesting part of the day was the combination of the Mezen water from different Mezen tributaries brought by the participants into one big glass bottle. This water will be kept in Kamenka museum.
Combination of the Mezen water
The location of the next Mezen Day Festival depends on the Mezen population initiatives. Silver Taiga Foundation is ready to review all the proposals and choose the most interesting one.
Photo by Sergey Davydov
– This Russian tongue twister became the title of the research work, which won the 1st place during the 5th ecological conference Istoki held on 16 March, 2019 in Udora district of Komi. The conference was organized by Silver Taiga Foundation in cooperation with Udora Department of Education and PA Center of Komi.
Opening of the conference
The schoolchildren collected the information about one of the departments of the logging companies – strobile-drying machine that was operating under the cooperation between Bulgaria and the Soviet Union in Udora forestry unit. The strobile drying machine was used to prepare conifer seeds for the artificial forest regeneration. The enterprise was built in 1978 and nowadays only ruins are left. At present, there is a strobile processing plant in Udora organized by the local entrepreneur.
Presentation of the Strobile Drying Factory
The 2nd place was given to the research work How to Save the Village from Rubbish. The author of the work proposed several ways out of the given problem. The 3rd place won the research of ancient cabbage storage method for the winter. Not long ago Komi people cooked cabbage on the open fire, put the cabbage head entirely into the boiling kettle. Usually women gathered in the center of the village, sang songs and exchanged the news. Local population in some villages try to revert to a custom.
Young researchers
Totally 12 research works were presented during the conference from 8 Udora educational institutions. All young researchers got certificates and valuable presents.
Awarding the winners
In addition, Model River Mezen project coordinator Nikolay Shilov told about Mezen River ichthyofaunal and Mezen salmon. The representatives of Komi PA Center conducted a quiz game and gave an advisory opinion about the peculiarities of the school research works preparation.
Model River Mezen project coordinator Nikolai Shilov
The representative of Komi PA Center is conducting a quiz game
During the quiz game
Сommemorative picture
The Istoki conference for the first time was held in 2015 under Model River Mezen project.
Silver Taiga representatives visited Arkhangelsk region to study the experience of the territorial public self-government (TSG) under Model River Mezen project.
TSG, active participation of the local communities in the life of their villages and district is the main condition for sustainable management of natural resources and the territory overall. That is why the permanent component of almost all Silver Taiga projects is the support for public self-government, self-organization of the rural communities. Unfortunately, the first TSG in Komi appeared well after the neighboring region. For example, there are 51 TSG bodies in Leshukonje district of Arkhangelsk region and only 2 TSG bodies in Udora district of Komi nowadays.
House-museum of the Olympic champion Vladimir Kuzin in Mezen district of Arkhangelsk region made by the local TSG
The experience exchanged of Leshukonje and Udora TSG representatives was informative and mutually useful. Introduction of Mezen TSG was held directly in the place. The group from Komi visited Mezen villages, where TSG bodies have been actively operating since 2000.
By the way, TSG is not the only form of self-organization. Mezen River project coordinator Nikolay Shilov told the participants of the round table meeting in Leshukonje about AgroUdora Cooperative, which is also a form of self-organization aiming at conservation of the river resources traditional use.
Participants of the round table meeting in Leshukonje
At the same time Silver Taiga representatives visited schools in Leshukonje and Mezen districts of Arkhangelsk region and presented them the banners about the Mezen River project.
The Mezen Day 2019 was also discussed during the meetings. As it is known Silver Taiga Foundation announced a competition of The Mezen Day 2019 projects. Territorial self-government and local administrations of Udora district of Komi and Leshukonje and Mezen districts of Arkhangelsk region can participate in the competition.