Residents of two Karelian villages and deputies of the legislative assembly from the Communist Party have collected signatures under an appeal to the regional Ministry of Agriculture against the creation of a fish breeding site on Lake Kaskesnavolok. According to the signatories, trout breeding will reduce the water quality. The lake is the only source of potable water for residents. The Head of the Kroshnozero Rural Settlement Lyubov Ponomareva said this during a meeting with villagers on February 19.
Residents of the villages of Kaskesnavolok and Kokkoyla collected signatures against trout breeding during a meeting in the Kroshnozero Village Community Center. Lyubov Ponomareva, who also opposed the Ministry of Agriculture’s initiative, held the meeting with the villagers. Deputies of the legislative assembly from the Communist Party and the Head of the Pryazhinsky District Administration Oksana Gavrosh have signed the appeal.
The Ministry of Agriculture published information about the creation of the fish breeding site on February 11. According to Ponomaryova, the lake is the only source of water for villagers. According to her, in order to keep Kaskesnavolok clean, residents do not go there by motorboats.
The Head of the Kroshnozero Settlement said that all 77 participants of the meeting had opposed the fish-breeding site. In addition to the Ministry of Agriculture, the rural administration will file an appeal with the Committee of Fisheries of Karelia. Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture reported that trout farmers were "interested in the ecological balance" of the region's water bodies.
On January 31, social activists of the Karelian movement against trout farmers published a video in which they reported the Lafor Farm's violations during trout breeding. Activists said that the company had dumped dry feed and blood from fish into Lake Ladoga. The Ministry of Agriculture of Karelia checked the enterprise and found no violations.
Residents of the Karelian village of Voynitsa also opposed trout farmers in 2020. Villagers rallied against the decision of the authorities to place new fisheries in the republic after Deputy Governor Vladimir Timofeev announced the search for new fish farms. In their opinion, trout breeding would cause environmental damage.
