Kyrgyzstan has fined offenders 416,000 KGS and removed thousands of metres of nets from water bodies

During 10 days of raids in May, more than 4,400 metres of illegal fishing nets and hundreds of kilograms of rubbish were removed from water bodies in Kyrgyzstan.

Between 1 and 10 May, inspectors from the Kyrgyz Republic’s Environmental and Technical Supervision Service carried out 125 raids across the country. A total of 137 violations relating to environmental and technical safety were identified.

Where and how much of the nets were seized:

• Issyk-Kul — 7,700 metres of nets;
• Toktogul Reservoir — 2,900 metres;
• Orto-Tokoy Reservoir — 500 metres;
• Son-Kul — 300 metres;
• Kirov Reservoir — 1,500 metres of nets and 300 kg of rubbish.

Since the start of 2026, 46,300 metres of old synthetic nets and 1,060 kg of rubbish have already been removed from water bodies. The department notes that such abandoned gear is referred to as ‘death nets’ or ‘ghost nets’ — they continue to destroy fish and the aquatic ecosystem for years.

Synthetic nets do not decompose and continue to catch fish even after being abandoned by their owners, causing long-term damage to biodiversity.

The operations are being carried out in accordance with presidential decrees and the law banning synthetic fishing nets. Since the start of the year, 36 major raids have been conducted, with fines and claims totalling 416,658 KGS.