On Tuesday evening, game wardens of the Skadar Lake National Park (NP) and Marine Police officers caught two people poaching, one of whom is the son of Vladimir Sjekloca, an employee of that company.
According to unofficial information, they were caught in the fishing net Raduš, near Virpazar.
Sjekloća is the janitor of the building in the NP "Skadarsko jezero" and claims that he was not at work that day, i.e. that he was not involved in the capture or poaching of his son.
Although the National Parks of Montenegro (NPCG) announced that they were caught poaching, that is, "illegal fishing", Sjekloća claims that his son committed a minor offense - "fishing without a fishing license".
"It's not about poaching, it's about fishing without a license," Sjekloća told "Vijesta".
However, the means of catching fish and fish were taken from the poachers, among which, according to the NPCG statement, there were no illegal means.
"On that occasion, the following assets were temporarily confiscated - a masked plastic boat, a 40-horsepower Merkury engine, a battery and a tank, as well as illegally caught fish, i.e. 13 pieces of carp," the NPCG statement reads. They confirmed that Sjekloća was not at work that day.
Officials of the Police Administration prosecuted both men at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Bar, and the procedure, according to the NPCG, is ongoing. From Tuesday, the Police Administration did not answer the questions of "Vijesti" - what was done about those persons.
This is the second time in November that a relative of an employee of NP Skadasrko jezero was caught poaching, and a fortnight ago the son of one of the gamekeepers, who was on shift at the time, was also arrested.
"The National Parks of Montenegro strongly condemn any form of illegal actions and non-compliance with the law that threaten and damage the values of protected natural areas and prosecute all cases of illegal actions to the competent state authorities," the NPCG press release reads.
Despite this attitude of the NPCG, scientists and non-governmental organizations have been warning for years that poaching on Lake Skadar has reached alarming proportions, and it is speculated that game wardens and other employees of the NPCG are also involved in these actions.
The NPCG, on the other hand, argued that their Protection Service was not adequately equipped, that is, that they did not have adequate vessels, but neither did they have a sufficient number of people to guard the largest lake in the Balkans.
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