Border guards fine ships for poaching and smuggling

During the first half of the year 2002, border guards from the Pacific Regional Department of Russia's Border Service fined 512 ships for poaching and smuggling, the department's head Colonel-General Pavel Tarasenko told a Tuesday news conference in Vladivostok.

The total amount of loot confiscated from poachers in a matter of six months reached 1,153,533 kg of fresh fish and sea products. The court ruled a decision that the fish be sold at a wholesale market price of more than 22,208,000 rubles /1 dollar is about 32 rubles/. 2,200,000 rubles gained from sales of ships and fishing gear that had been confiscated from poachers were transferred to the federal budget.

Naval border guards have also confiscated almost 200,000 of live crabs, which were then released into the sea.