Protection of the environment in our liberated territories, compliance with ecotourism standards and proper use of the region’s potential in this regard are important factors in economic reintegration. The massive return of the population to our liberated territories, the creation of settlements and modern infrastructure there has returned Karabakh to our society. However, the mass settlement of these areas, at the same time, the growing international interest in Karabakh, and the desire to travel by foreign tourists make the setting of tourism, especially ecotourism standards, urgent in the region. When talking about the topic, it can be said that the protection of the bioresources of the water basins of Karabakh is particularly relevant. Protection of water resources and their biodiversity, which is an important component in ecotourism, is of great importance. In this regard, it is necessary to implement a number of measures, especially education. Education should also be about the requirements of the legislation so that our people who are interested in fishing are knowledgeable about this issue. We would like to bring to the readers’ attention a number of nuances in this regard.
First of all, let us note that sport and amateur fishing in our country can be carried out freely in water bodies of public use, but there are restrictions on fishing in specially protected natural areas. there are certain limitations. Thus, sports and amateur hunting activities are prohibited in specially protected natural areas and fish breeding farms. These restrictions are applied to protect ecosystems and protect rare species in those areas. The Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Fishing” provides relevant regulations in this regard. The law also defines various measures to prevent the destruction of aquatic bioresources in these areas and to ensure their sustainable use. Sports and amateur hunting activities in state-owned fishing water bodies are regulated by the relevant executive authorities. These bodies establish rules for the management of fisheries and the protection of biological resources. In addition to enforcing laws, enforcement agencies can modify or update existing regulations as needed, which is important for flexible decision-making regarding the conservation of bioresources.
The prohibitions specified in the law also apply to water resources in exempted areas. The excerpts that told us about this are of the same opinion.
According to Vugar Abdullayev, Chairman of the “Baku Fishermen and Underwater Hunters Club” Public Union, general education about fishing rules should be strengthened. It is possible to prevent poaching and other illegal situations. In order to educate people, educational videos, actions, and tournaments should be organized about the water resources of the liberated areas, and regular information should be provided in the media.
Expert Afgan Aliyev thinks that public and state institutions should cooperate closely in this field. , public initiatives should be strengthened: “We, as the Azerbaijan Fishermen’s Union, cooperate in this area with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Water Transport Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Service and local police departments we do My personal proposal in this field is that in the future, the Environmental Police should be created under the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Azerbaijan. Also, a state agency related to fishing should be created to better protect bioresources in this area, this is very important, because there is no agency in Azerbaijan that is solely engaged in fishing and is responsible for this work.”
According to expert Chingiz Ganiyev, the use of synthetic nets used by poachers, the use of which is prohibited in Azerbaijan, and the destruction of fish and other living things by electrifying water can be prevented by both education and the methods required by the law. Relevant institutions take necessary measures for this. However, many citizens still engage in poaching and do it openly. Regarding this point, it is necessary to emphasize once again that first of all, it is necessary to teach our citizens to love nature and to be educated about it in detail. A lot of work needs to be done for this. This work should be started from early education: “The resources of our freed territories, including our water resources and biodiversity there, are under the control of state institutions. A conceptual approach can also be applied to these areas when they are subject to massive anthropogenic influence. The fight against those who violate fishing rules and poachers should always be a civic duty of each of us. In this matter, every citizen should immediately inform the relevant institutions and carry out other duties responsibly.
The article was prepared within the framework of the “Ecotourism standards in liberated areas” project implemented by the Public Union of Integration to the Globalized World with the financial support of the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The position of the author or the interviewee and the position of the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations may not be consistent.