Inspectors from the Issyk-Kul Department of the Environmental and Technical Supervision Service have confiscated approximately 500 meters of synthetic fishing nets during a recent raid on Lake Issyk-Kul.
Large-scale efforts to clean and protect the lake have been underway since 2023. Ahead of this year’s tourist season, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov issued a decree banning the import and use of synthetic fishing nets nationwide. He later participated in a raid on the lake himself, publicly criticizing officials for failing to fully implement the ban.
Despite the government’s strict measures, poaching continues to pose a threat. According to inspectors from the Ministry of Natural Resources, although the latest seizure is not the largest on record, it is still substantial enough to harm the lake’s delicate ecosystem. Raids have been conducted almost continuously throughout the summer.
Just days earlier, divers from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations retrieved 1,500 meters of nets from the lake and rescued 114 fish caught in them. Since the beginning of the year, authorities have removed a total of 80,900 meters of illegal fishing nets from Issyk-Kul.
The State Customs Service also reported intercepting a large shipment of synthetic nets at the border with China. During a routine inspection of freight trucks, 750 kilograms of fishing nets were discovered and subsequently destroyed.
Authorities warn that synthetic fishing nets are especially hazardous because they often contain lead, which can release toxic substances into the water. These toxins poison fish and destabilize the lake’s aquatic ecosystem.
