Fishermen from Bojana protest again because of illegal fishing at the common mouth of the river, which, they claim, takes place without the control of our and the Albanian border police.
Several of them, who asked that their names not be mentioned (identities known to the editorial office), say that poachers from Albania can be seen every day on the left, shared branch of Bojana, just like last year. They warn that poachers kill fish uncontrollably with electricity and dynamite, not paying attention to whether they enter our waters.
They claim that poachers led by a multiple offender, certain By the verse of T., have the blessing of the Albanian policemen from the Puljaj border patrol, while our navigational unit does not monitor the river for a bizarre reason - both speedboats at the Sveti Nikola patrol are allegedly broken down.
"Vijesti" could not get official information about it on Friday and Saturday, because the police leaders did not respond to calls and messages, but fishermen and several interlocutors from the police confirmed that one speedboat was on dry dock, and the other was in the water, and that neither in function.
"We are outraged, many of our fishermen have given up hunting in the joint backwater because it has been left to poachers. Albanian fishermen are also outraged, but most of them remain silent because they do not want to risk reprisals from poachers. They complained to us that whenever they publicly protested about it, they found their boats broken the next day," says one of the alas from Bojana.
Fishermen say that a colleague from Albania told them that they expected our border police to solve the problem, because the Albanian border police allegedly cooperates closely with poachers, and especially with Ajeta.
"Every day, twice a day, that poacher, with complete equipment for electrofishing, lowers his vessel right next to the Albanian watchtower, but no one reacts. It then descends down the river to the mouth and uncontrollably kills fish and juveniles. When he finally goes to rest, a group of dynamiters comes, who continue the feast", says one of the fishermen, why they avoid hunting on the left side of the fork.
Fishermen say that poachers catch huge quantities of fish, several hundreds of kilos at a time, using so-called inventra, which convert electricity from batteries from 12 and 24 volts to 220 volts, completely silently.
They also state that their vessels have an electric outboard motor, which makes hunting completely silent.
"That Ajet spent ten days in Spuž due to fishing with explosives in our waters a decade and a half or two ago. But when he got out, he shunned explosives and started using electricity. Earlier we also met him in Šaška channel, which is deep in our territory. Colleagues from Albania tell us that a man from Skadran, who buys fish from him, recently paid him as much as 50 euros".
Last year, he was arrested for poaching by the Special Team from Shkodër, who, according to the fishermen, hid the action from his colleagues from the Puljaj watchtower.
"Then his boat and equipment were confiscated, but after two months everything was returned to him. Now they fish carelessly and hunt illegally both in their waters and in ours".
According to experts, fishing currents kill young fish in addition to adults, so one can only guess how much of a toll Bojana is paying for uncontrolled and illegal fishing.
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