Business news

"On 19-21 August the National Park Belovezhskaya Pushcha is hosting a four-lateral meeting of representatives of the State Wildlife Protection Inspectorate under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Belarus and colleagues from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This is the first time that the event is held in such an extended format. Its purpose is to discuss the environmental issues, including cross-border interaction,” the press service informed.

The press service stressed that the State Inspectorate actively cooperates with similar bodies carrying out state control over fishing, hunting and forest management in other countries. Close collaboration has been established with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, the State Environmental Service of the Republic of Latvia, the Environmental Inspectorate of the Republic of Estonia. "Partnership relations allow us to identify and address emerging cross-border issues, give us an opportunity to upgrade conservation methods both in Belarus and at our partners, which contributes to the conservation of biodiversity. For example, in May 2013 Lithuania imposed a ban on the sale of nets and netting materials. This measure was introduced after the Lithuanian partners studied the monitoring practices over netting materials in Belarus. Russia is also mulling such a measure," noted the press service.

In turn, based on the study of the Lithuanian experience, in June last year Belarus increased three times the rates for the calculation of the amount of harm done to the environment (as a result of the illicit removal or destruction of wildlife). The Belarusian experts got acquainted with the forestry practices in Estonia, and made a proposal to introduce an electronic forest products accounting system in Belarus, on the basis of the Estonian experience.

"Our Baltic colleagues are also set to visit the Kobrin forestry, Selets aqua farm, and OOO Variant hunting grounds in Beryoza District,” the press service informed.