Sea of Azov

High fish stocks

From ancient times until the recent past, Meotida, as the ancient Greeks called the Sea of ​ ​ Azov, was one of the wonders of the world in its natural characteristics. Until recently (2013), the Sea of ​ ​ Azov, shallow (maximum depth about 14 meters) and quickly warmed, in terms of fish catches per unit area occupied the first place in the world among all sea bodies of water. Beluga, sturgeon, sevryuga, flounder-kalkan, flounder-gloss, Black Sea herring, drums, mullet, hamsa, tulka and many species of goby were caught here.

The high productivity of the sea was explained by the rapid reproduction of fish stocks, an abundance of spawning grounds (1.3 square kilometers of spawning grounds accounted for 10 square kilometers of the water area), low salinity (10.5 ppm) and a large influx of clean fresh water.

In 1936, the catch of fish in the Sea of ​ ​ Azov amounted to 275, 5 thousand tons, in the early 60s of the twentieth century this figure increased to 760 thousand tons. Since then, the volume of catch has decreased annually by about 16.6 thousand tons. By 2013, the figures from the middle of the last century seem fantastic.

Water intake and sea pollution

Among the reasons that primarily influenced the reduction of fish stocks in Soviet times, scientists distinguish cardinal hydrological changes in the sea basin. In particular, the construction in 1956 of the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex and the regulation of the Kuban River led to a reduction in freshwater flow to the sea by almost half. At the same time, most spawning grounds of passing fish species were isolated, including sturgeon, beluga, sevryuga, fish and others, which made up a significant share of the catch.

In addition, as industry and agriculture developed along the shores of the sea, irrevocable water intakes (from the rivers of the basin) also increased, mainly for irrigation. Because of this, more Black Sea water began to flow into the Sea of ​ ​ Azov, which led to an increase in salinity, which, however, has stabilized in recent years.

Taking water from the sea, a person gave him waste of his economic activity in return - heavy metal salts, pesticides, oil products. By the time of the collapse of the USSR, 17 percent of the Union's industrial and 22 percent of agricultural products were produced in the Sea of ​ ​ Azov basin.

In 2013, according to environmentalists, 1200 industrial enterprises discharge wastewater into the sea. The main sources of pollution are considered industrial enterprises and ports of Mariupol - Azovstal plants, named after Ilyich, Azovmash concern. The total volume of harmful discharges is estimated at 5 billion cubic meters annually.

Saturation of seawater with pesticides periodically leads to "fading" - cases of mass death of fish. Moreover, in recent years, after the populations of the most sensitive to pollution of marine life have already decreased so much that the death of their representatives passes unnoticed, the "zamors" overtook the unpretentious bull. Almost every year, tens of tons of goby end up on the Azov beaches due to the so-called "oxygen hunger," when the water temperature in the summer rises so much that the fish lack oxygen and rush to the shore.

Dead fish on the beaches of the Sea of ​ ​ Azov. Photo: meteoprog.ua

By the mid-1980s, the catch of fish in the Sea of ​ ​ Azov fell 2-3 times compared to 1936. The production of passing fish decreased during the same time by 5-15 times, including sturgeon by 4-9 times. In 2013, the beluga in the sea disappeared virtually completely, and the capture of a simple sturgeon seems to be an extremely difficult task. Another reason for the decrease in commercial catches by several times, experts call the influence of yellow organisms, in other words jellyfish, on the feed resources of hamsa and tulips, which make up the lion's share of the catch of Azov fish. But jellyfish appeared in the Sea of ​ ​ Azov not on their own, but thanks to an increase in the salinity of the water - as soon as it fell a couple of years ago, this did not slow down to have a positive effect on the catch of tulip with anchovies.

Poaching

As of August 2013, the border between Russia and Ukraine, running along the Sea of ​ ​ Azov and the Kerch Strait, is still not delimited. And this despite the fact that in 2012 the parties allegedly fully settled all controversial issues related to the division of the Kerch fairway, and even signed an agreement. According to former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ogryzko, Russia deliberately delays the delimitation process, since "according to international law, the border line passes in such a way that most of the Sea of ​ ​ Azov is Ukrainian territory." Which, according to the ex-minister, does not suit Moscow.

Uncertainty with the border prevents normal compliance with the environmental laws of the two countries.

Azov poachers, unlike, for example, those who trade in the Caspian and are aimed almost exclusively at catching sturgeon, do not disdain anything - they knocked out the beluga, and the flounder will come down. Knocked out the flounder - let there be a bull. After the collapse of Soviet fish farms, which worked at least in any orderly manner, Russian and Ukrainian businessmen launched bottom trawls, banned back in the 1970s. With such trawling, which has become widespread in the past twenty years, not only bottom habitats of fish are plowed and algae are mowed, where many species dream caviar (for example, sargan), but also filter mollusks are destroyed - the basis of the feed base of many fish, in particular sturgeon. In addition, trawls raise mush, which spreads for tens of kilometers and reduces water transparency to zero.

According to the Crimean Association "Ecology and Peace," in 2013, several dozen commercial vessels using all types of trawls operate in the Sea of ​ ​ Azov. At the same time, officially indicated ships have permission to work only with ring seines and for a limited amount of catch. In fact, the volume of the total catch can only be guessed.

In 2009, environmentalists appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine with a request to check compliance with the ban on trawl fishing in the Sea of ​ ​ Azov, but the situation has changed little since then. At the same time, local residents note that compared to the "dashing nineties," the number of poachers has greatly decreased, but it is already unclear what served as this main reason - the efforts of the authorities or simply a catastrophic reduction in fish stocks.

Since, first of all, the fish disappears near the coast, fishermen have to go further and further into the sea, where poachers clash with border guards. Moreover, fish, as a rule, feed fat in the northern part of the sea - near the Ukrainian coast, and caviar goes to throw towards Russia. After the Russians sank a longboat from the Donetsk region in July, the Ukrainians began to remember similar cases that had occurred in recent years. According to residents of coastal villages, Russian border guards constantly "chase" and periodically drown Ukrainian poachers. And for the most part, such cases do not receive any publicity: a person simply went to sea, and with ends. And it is always possible to write off the loss on the extremely restless temper of the sea - although it is the smallest in the world, it is stormy and keeps leadership in the number of ships going to the bottom every year.

However, a tragic outcome when meeting with border guards can always be avoided - it is enough to pay money. True, the size of the redemption, according to unofficial data, sometimes exceeds ten thousand dollars, for which in any Ukrainian village of Priazovye you can easily buy a house. But some agree and buy out their relatives, whom the Russians keep on their territory.

As confirmation of how Russian border guards do not stand on ceremony with violators, a businessman from the village of Bezymennoye Vasily Kovalenko posted a video on the Internet showing the pursuit of poachers.

"I remember your number, next time I will press," the captain of the Russian boat promises poachers.

In August 2013 To Ukraine , the outrage around the incident on the Sea of ​ ​ Azov, where on July 17, 2013, a Russian Border Guard boat collided with a Ukrainian longboat, did not subside. At the same time, four fishermen, who, according to the Russian side, were engaged in poaching, died, another managed to save. Abstracting from the question of who is to blame for the death of people (the surviving fisherman claims that the Russians deliberately went to the ram, the border guards say that the longboat sank due to their own maneuvers), it should be noted that in this case both in Kyiv To Moscow and in the trees do not see forests. A special case, even with human casualties, cannot obscure the obvious threat: because of poachers and uncontrolled fishing in general, the Sea of ​ ​ Azov may lose its fish stocks faster than the most inveterate pessimists think. However, lovers of illegal fishing are just one of the reasons for the impoverishment of the sea.

Ukrainians claim that the fishermen sunk in July 2013 were not poachers. This issue is controversial. In Kerch and adjacent villages, for example, old, experienced, still Soviet hardening fishermen are extremely disapproving of fish fishing in the summer. Autumn and spring are the fishing season, they claim. In summer, the fish only consumes fat. And it's one thing to catch for yourself, another thing to go to sea with nets and trawls. "Ukrainian fishermen who collided in the Sea of ​ ​ Azov with a border boat of the Russian Federation were definitely poachers, since now it is impossible to fish at all," Yuri Makogon, professor of the Azov Maritime Institute of the Odessa National Maritime Academy, told REGNUM news agency. According to him, private fishing on a large scale, which was impossible in Soviet times, today is practically not regulated by the^[1].

Sea as a beach holiday destination

From the lips of lovers of sea recreation, you can often hear dismissive reviews of the Sea of ​ ​ Azov as a "swamp," they say, it is shallow and smelly.

Chronicle

2024: A road will be built around the Sea of ​ ​ Azov for 600 billion rubles

The construction of the road around the Sea of ​ ​ Azov will cost about ₽600 billion. This major infrastructure project will be completed by 2030. This was announced in September 2024 by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin during a working trip to the Republic of Adygea.

The road will cover key regions of the Azov-Black Sea cluster, improving transport links and access roads to the sea. According to TASS, the main goal of the project is to improve transport infrastructure and improve the quality of road surface throughout the route. All key sections for the future road have already been developed. The Infrastructure for Life program continues to refine plans and funding. According to Khusnullin, the project will be implemented in stages, with the repair of existing roads and the expansion of up to four lanes in separate sections, such as bypassing Mariupol and Novoazovsk.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the funds will be allocated within the framework of federal road construction programs, which will provide the necessary scale of work to bring the roads to a regulatory state. This project, as Khusnullin noted, is of strategic importance for the development of the Azov-Black Sea cluster and the entire transport network of the South of Russia.

The reconstruction of the road ring around the Sea of ​ ​ Azov with a length of 1,400 km was announced in February 2024. The route runs through cities such as Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Mariupol, Melitopol, Genichesk, Skadovsk and Dzhankoy, and connects the Crimean coast with the Rostov region. An important component of the project will also be the development of access roads to the sea, which will help improve the transport accessibility of coastal areas and tourist areas.

In addition, the development of road infrastructure will improve logistics and interaction between regions, which will have a positive impact on the economy and business. The new roads, according to Khusnullin, are designed to reduce travel time, improve the quality of transport links and reduce road accidents. ^[2]

See also

Ukraine

Notes