News
The Department of Environmental Supervision Identified 462 Cases of Illegal Fishing in Nine Months
As part of efforts to combat poaching, officers of the Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture identified 462 cases of violations of fishing regulations and illegal fishing between 1 January and 30 September 2026. Of these, 232 cases contained signs of a criminal offence. The relevant materials were forwarded to the appropriate authorities for further action.
In total, more than 460 kg of fish were illegally caught.
The highest number of cases, 96, was identified in Imereti. A further 83 cases were recorded in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, 63 in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, 52 in Kvemo Kartli, 45 in Kakheti, 32 in Shida Kartli, 14 in Guria, 11 in Adjara, and 10 in Samtskhe-Javakheti. An additional 41 cases were identified by officers of the Black Sea Convention Protection Division.
Violations were also recorded in the capital. During the first nine months of 2026, the Department’s officers identified 15 cases of violations of fishing regulations and illegal fishing in Tbilisi.
Poachers frequently used illegal fishing equipment, such as gillnets and electric fishing devices.
Alongside detecting and preventing illegal fishing, the Department of Environmental Supervision prioritises prevention. To this end, preventive measures are carried out intensively, particularly in areas where poaching incidents have been relatively frequent in recent years.
The patrol crews of the Department of Environmental Supervision conduct continuous 24-hour monitoring nationwide to ensure the timely prevention, detection, and suppression of illegal fishing, hunting, and other environmental violations. In addition, they provide immediate responses to all reports received through the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture’s hotline (153).
