News
The Department of Environmental Supervision has identified 805 cases of illegal fishing across Georgia in 2025
The Department of Environmental Supervision of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture, within the framework of the fight against poaching, from January 1 to December 31, 2025, identified 805 cases of illegal fishing. Of these, 368 cases contain signs of a criminal offense. The case materials have been forwarded to the relevant authorities for further legal action.
The total amount of fish illegally caught by poachers exceeded 700 kg.
In many cases, poachers used illegal fishing methods, including entanglement-type nets and electrofishing devices.
The timely prevention, suppression, and detection of illegal fishing remains a top priority for the Environmental Supervision Department. In recent years, the Department has been actively strengthening operations, which include the acquisition of modern equipment, the introduction of electronic systems, the improvement of staff working conditions, the construction and renovation of regional offices, and the retraining of employees to enhance their theoretical and practical knowledge. At the same time, significant attention is given to photo and video materials circulating on social media, which are responded to immediately. As part of anti-poaching efforts, tools such as high-mobility vehicles, so-called “bags,” various types of boats, catamarans, drones, camera traps, and thermal binoculars are already being successfully used. Due to the strengthening of the Department’s capacities and the active integration of modern technologies into practice, the prevention and detection of poaching incidents is now possible 24 hours a day and across a much wider range of locations.
The increased rate of detection of illegal fishing in recent years is a result of strengthened monitoring and enforcement capacities. In 2024, the Department detected 653 cases of illegal fishing, of which 275 contained signs of a criminal offense. In 2025, the Department’s employees prevented and detected an additional 152 cases across many more locations throughout the country.
