Salmons are under protection in Kamchatka

05.02.2017 21:09:04 (GMT+12)

Salmons are under protection in Kamchatka
The interview with Roman Granatov, the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Kamchatka Kray, the Chairman of the Committee of Nature Use, Agricultural Policy and Ecological Safety, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the regional public fund “Protect salmon TOGETHER!”.

Interviewer: 2017 is the Year of Ecology in Russia. For Kamchatka, it primarily means the protection of our national heritage – salmons. You have been dealing with it for a long time as both a legislator and a public figure. Can some results be drown?

Roman Granatov: The most important result, which have been achieved by the Government of Kamchatka Kray, the Legislative Assembly and the public for recent years, is the cessation of large-scale driftnet fishing of salmon. It was the significant outcome. It is worth remembering, that after driftnet catastrophe of 1950-70s, when Japanese shut the way with driftnets for fish to Kamchatka spawning areas, we lost almost the whole infrastructure of fishing industry – dozens of fish canneries, fishing farms, industrial communities… It was tragedy for Kamchatka, repercussions of which we still have nowadays.  

The President of Russian Vladimir Putin’s decree of cessation driftnet fishing is the elimination of one of the most serious ecology threat for Kamchatka salmons.

Then our main objective is anti-poaching activity. There are two ways. The first one is hardening the punishment for poaching and its harbouring. This is the national task.  

The second one is creating in public consciousness the sense of love, respect and gratitude for fish, which is the basis of economy in our kray. This is the public’s task.  

The idea of holding Kamchatka festival “Protect salmon TOGETHER!” came six years ago and was followed by our Fund and deputies. Nowadays, this festival has become one of the most popular public events of kray. The festival gathers people not only from different Kamchatka areas but also from other regions of Russia. The festival may become international.

Interviewer: You and the Fund are working on the new project – development of ecology-educational center, which you are going to open in the Year of Ecology.

Roman Granatov: Yes, this is the idea of the Fund and the center is established on its basis. However, the Fund’s activity is intimately related to the Legislative Assembly of Nature Use, Agricultural Policy and Ecological Safety and the Ministry of Fisheries of Kamchatka Kray. I am
a chairman of the Board of Trustees of this Fund, and Vladimir Galitsyin, the Minister of Fisheries, and Aleksey Tokranov, the Head of Kamchatka branch of Pacific Institute of Geography, are members of this Board of Trustees.

This is our mutual idea and each of us contributes, in way large or small, to realization of the project. We call all inhabitants of Kamchatka to take part in this noble deal.

There will be a fish museum as an expression of gratitude to fish in this ecology-educational center. There will be pictures, sculptures, toys, souvenirs devoted to fish. They will be works of artisans, including from Kamchatka. In addition, they will be presents from our friends, like-mined people, colleagues, fellow citizens, including Kamchatka fishing businessmen, who have actively taken part in the project (especially the large enterprise “Okeanrybflot”).  The aim of ecology-educational center is gathering like-mined people and those who are interested in ecology issues, history and culture of Kamchatka. Only moral people can resist poaching and vanish it from public conscious as both a phenomena and a sin…

Interviewer: When and where are you going to open the center?

Roman Granatov: In Elizovo town, near the airport. Probably, it will be towards the end of the year.

Translated be Marina Barannik.