RESULTS OF EFFORTS TO PROTECT NATIONAL PARKS IN 2001
By the end of 2001, the security services of Russia’s 35 national parks employed a total of 2,150 guards. Specially created operative groups were functioning in 27 (versus 26 in 2000) national parks.
In 2001 NP security guards filed 3,835 (versus 3,696 in 2000) reports of violations – including 928 incidents of illegal fishing (versus 829 in 2000); 603 incidents of fire hazards (versus 970 in 2000); 378 of illegal cuttings (versus 556 in 2000); 298 of squatting and illegal construction (versus 236 in 2000); 290 of illegal hunting (versus 231 in 2000); and 189 of pollution (versus 181 in 2000). In all, 3,235 offenders were detained.
In 21 (versus 14 in 2000) national parks the detention of offenders was accompanied by the confiscation of rifles (25 in 2001 versus 17 in 2000) and smoothbore weapons (93 in 2001 versus 45 accordingly in 2000). Thus, 84 of 118 firearms, or 71%, were confiscated by security guards at 5 national parks: Tunkinsky (38), Samarskaya Luka (17), Pribaikalsky (15), Alhanai (7) and Smolenskoye Poozerye (7).
In addition to firearms, security guards confiscated 1,1876 (versus 1,046in 2000) fishing-nets, drags and sweep nets; 438 (versus 388) trap and bow nets; 216 (versus 180) traps; 3,632 (versus 2,845) chokers and the like; 12 (versus 8) electric fishing tools.
Meanwhile, in accordance with NP resolutions, 966,000 rubles (versus 467,000 in 2000) in fines and 1,756,000 rubles (versus 674,000 in 2000) in damages were collected for harm done to natural complexes and sites. Six national parks were the most effective at imposing fines: Losiny Ostrov — 376,000 rubles; Ugra — 115,600; Prielbrusye — 92,600; Sochinsky — 78,000; Samarskaya Luka — 48,400; and Valdaisky — 46,700. Together these parks collected 78% of all the fines imposed within the system of Russian national parks.
Competence and persistence in collecting fines, or in the matter of reimbursement of damages to park natural complexes and sites, is an important indicator of the security service’s efficiency. In 2001, 6 national parks did the best job of bringing offenders to justice and making them pay the fines: Losiny Ostrov — 710,000 rubles; Ugra — 116,000, Sochinsky — 359,700; Tunkinsky — 138,600; Nizhnyaya Kama — 122,000; and Maschera — 77,100. These 6 parks collected 87% of all the fines and damages received within the national park system.
Investigating authorities initiated 70 (versus 72 in 2000) criminal cases against
offenders caught by security guards of Alania, Alkhanai, Valdaisky, Vodlozersky,
Mariy Chodra, Meschera, Meshcersky, Nechinsky, Nizhnyaya Kama, Orlovskoye Polesye,
Plescheevo ozero, Pripyshmenskiye Bory, Russky Sever, Smolenskoye Poozerye,
Smolny, Sochinsky, Taganai, Tunkinsky and Ugra. Twenty-seven offenders
(versus 11 in 2000) were found guilty of environmental crimes and criminally
liable.
Reports of environmental pollution, squatting and illegal construction were
filed by security guards at only 17 national parks (versus13 in 2000): Alania,
Zabaikalsky, Losiny Ostrov, Mariy Chodra, Meschersky, Nizhnyaya Kama, Plescheevo
Ozero, Probaikalsky, Pripyshminskiye Bory, Russky Sever, Sebezhsky, Smolny,
Sochinsky, Taganai, Ugra, Shushensky Bor and Yugyd Va. Though these
violations are not typical of some parks due to their location (Paanayarvi),
the fact that they go unreported suggests that security is still lax in many
Russia’s national parks.
It is worth mentioning that security services vary considerably as to their management and efficiency from park to park. Consequently, 569, or 14% (versus 301, or 8% in 2000) of 3,696 offences reported in 2001 were unsolved and the offenders never caught. At Vodlozersky, in 10out of 13 reported offences the offenders remained not established.
Furthermore, in Chavash Varmane, security guards reported only 22 violations of fire regulations and 1 incident of illegal cutting (versus 36 and 1 in 2000). In Khvalynsky the situation was the same; the security guards detained 25 offenders: 2 incidents of illegal cutting and the rest for fire regulations violations.
Some security services did not take appropriate measures to bring the offenders to justice. They allowed the offenders to act with impunity and discredit the security guards. Thus, in Chavash Varmane, the average fine was only 9 rubles (30 cents). This means that the park authorities did not make use of the Federal Act On Protected Natural Areas; and most offenders were never brought to justice. At Alania the average fine was 27 rubles; at Khvalynsky — 32; at Meschersky — 60; at Bashkiriya — 70: well below the minimum fine (100 rubles) the security guards can legally impose.
Some national parks limit their activities to bringing offenders to justice
and take no measures to ensure that the fines and/or damages are paid. Thus,
six national parks (versus 8 in 2000), including Alkhanai, Kenozersky, Kurshskaya
Kosa, Orlovskoye Polesye, Paanayarvi and Proibaikalsky sued no offenders
for damages.
However, the security guards of some national parks did a good job of detecting
violations, including detaining armed offenders, bringing the offenders to justice
and seeing that appropriate fines and damages were paid: Valdaisky, Losiny
Ostrov, Meschera, Sebezhsky, Sochinsky, Smolenskoye Poozerye, Taganai, Tunkinsky,
Ugra, and Yugyd Va.
