Poaching Incident in Odesa Region: Environmental Violations by the Black Sea

In the Odesa region, near the Sasyk Liman and Danube Biosphere Reserve, an incident of poaching was recorded: men using illegal gear (spinning rods) caught 30 rays (Dasyatis pastinaca) in just a few hours, significantly exceeding the allowed limit of 3 kg per person.

This was reported by Ivan Rusev, head of the research department of the "Tuzly Limans" National Park, on his Facebook page.

"Recently, rays have been abundant in the coastal area of the Black Sea, where they feed on crabs. The population of sea cats has recovered during the war, as there is a ban on industrial fishing in the sea," the scientist noted.

Authorities conducted educational work with the offenders and called the police.

Living rays were released back into the sea, returning them to their natural habitat.