Abkhaz fishermen catch rare Beluga fish weighing 200 kg and fined. Video

In the city of Gagra in Abkhazia, fishermen caught a beluga fish weighing 200 kg. Proud of their deed, they published a video of the catch on social media. 

But Beluga is a rare fish, which is listed in the Red Book of endangered species in the area. As a result, the fishermen lost their license for poaching and paid a fine.

• Where are all the Abkhaz anchovies going?
• Abkhazia’s pelmeni saga

The Beluga fish was caught by chance. The fishermen had cast their nets to catch flounder, which is also prohibited.  As a result, in addition to flounder, the beluga also got into the net.

For the seven flounders and one beluga they caught, they paid a fine equivalent to 350 dollars.

As employees of the environmental service established, the beluga spent three days in their nets. When the fishermen pulled her out, she was already dead, and her meat was not suitable for consumption. The fish was about two and a half meters in length and weighed a little more than 200 kilograms.

Beluga is a fish of the sturgeon family, lives in the Caspian, Azov and Black Seas, from where it enters rivers for spawning.  

It is one of if not the largest freshwater fish, since the mass of the largest caught specimens of this species can reach one and a half tons.

Toponyms, terminology, views and opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of JAMnews or any employees thereof. JAMnews reserves the right to delete comments it considers to be offensive, inflammatory, threatening, or otherwise unacceptable