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State Environmental Service official blamed on small-scale fishing / Article / LSM.lv

Employees of the Nature Protection Board have caught an official of the State Environmental Service in an illegal underwater hunt in Rāzna National Park, who, using his position, has tried to avoid punishment and fled from the police.

According to the information at the disposal of LTV “Panorama”, it is an official whose job responsibilities include controlling and protecting fish resources.

The Nature Protection Board received information on the evening that illegal underwater fishing may take place in Lake Rāzna under the guise of darkness.

The locals had noticed the suspicious car. The employees of the Board, together with representatives from the association “Rāzna Lake – for man and nature”, watched the lake with night vision equipment and waited for three hours until the scuba diver came ashore.

“He had an underwater hunting harpoon, equipment and one hunted eel in his role. Underwater hunting is prohibited in Rāzna. Eels can be fished and fished, which are industrial fishermen, but it is forbidden to get any fish in underwater hunting, ”said Dainis Tučs, a specialist of the Nature Protection Board.

“There was a sharp change of words. The person was quite dressed. I realized that he did not want to reveal his identity, and the State Police was called, ”said Tučs.

After clarifying all the circumstances, it turned out that he was an official of the Environmental Service.

“He holds a public office but deals with such matters. We were all surprised. On the contrary, he should be helped to protect natural resources, “said Igors Šabanovs, a representative of the Rāzna Lake – for Man and Nature Association.

The official of the Environmental Service has tried to ensure that the violation protocol is not drawn up and has fled by car. He has also been persecuted by three State Police officers.

“It simply came to our notice then. The police followed. He was at a pretty high speed, had fallen behind and managed to escape, ”said Tučs.

“We found out that there would be someone in the lake, but we didn’t know exactly what it was about a person. This person often goes to one place and engages in small-scale fishing. We decided to put an end to it. We called the “Greens”, the Nature Protection Board, “said Shabanov.

“We have video cameras, various motion sensors. Droni .. and we have collected information that he has been there several times. We wanted to know who it is in person. And it turned out … here … Mr. Gasparovich, “said Shabanov.

Edvīns Gasparovičs, the head of the Resource Control Sector of the Daugavpils Regional Environmental Board of the State Environmental Service, confirmed to Panorama that he had been on Lake Rāzna last weekend, but denies that he had been engaged in edge fishing.

I have been doing free diving for decades. And I do underwater filming, “said Gasparovich.

To the claim that he had caught the eel, a spokesman for the environmental service explained that “the device on which the fish is usually placed was sunk to the bottom. I found it and took it for myself. ”

“They behaved defiantly. Tried to challenge me to conflict. I immediately said that I work for the SES. That I came to rest. That I have my own interests has no right to act against me. I got in the car and started driving, ”said Gasparovičs.

The DPO has decided to initiate administrative infringement proceedings for non-compliance with fishing, crayfish and underwater hunting regulations. The penalty is possible up to 350 euros, plus compensation for damage to fish resources – 750 euros.

The State Environmental Service emphasizes that as soon as it receives documents from the nature protection transmission regarding the initiation of record keeping, the particular official will be suspended from office.

“If the investigation confirms the guilt of the particular official, then we will decide on dismissal. In this situation, we first see a disciplinary violation, for which an official can be dismissed, ”admitted the representative of the State Environmental Service Kristīne Kļaveniece.

The State Environmental Service hopes for swift and prompt action to secure the evidence and punish the perpetrator.

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