Kyrgyzstan plans to impose a moratorium on the fishing of commercial and especially valuable fish species, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry announced. A draft government decree has been prepared and submitted for public discussion.
The moratorium on commercial fishing is proposed to be introduced in fishery reservoirs of national importance — Toktogul, Bazar-Korgon, Kirov and Kurpsai, Shamaldy-Sai, Tash-Kumyr, Uch-Korgon reservoirs.
The initiative is aimed at improving the coordination of activities in the field of preserving and increasing fish stocks between state environmental, law enforcement and scientific bodies, local state administration and local government bodies, as well as between republican and regional bodies.
«The growth of illegal fishing in recent years has undermined the natural reproduction of commercial fish species. In addition, uncontrolled fishing and failure to take the necessary measures to strengthen conservation, artificial reproduction and ichthyological research in fishery reservoirs have led to a sharp reduction in natural fish stocks, and, as a consequence, to a decrease in the number and stocks of fish.
In recent years, significant damage to the ichthyofauna has become especially obvious, the number of endemic fish populations has sharply decreased, natural reserves of aquatic biological resources have significantly decreased and biological indicators continue to deteriorate,» the background statement says.
The introduction of a temporary moratorium on commercial fishing (catch) is designed for a period of three years.
According to the Institute of Biology of the National Academy of Sciences, the volumes of fish stocking remain extremely low. In 2023–2025, only 1 million carp larvae and 300,000 whitefish were released (stocked) into the Toktogul reservoir. Stocking of Kirovskoye, Kurpsai, Shamaldy-Sai and Uch-Korgon reservoirs was symbolic.
Since the beginning of 2020, there has been a sharp decline in the fish population in the reservoirs due to poaching, critical water discharge, shallowing and loss of the natural food base for fish.
In addition, a number of reservoirs (Kurpsai, Shamaldy-Sai, Tash-Kumyr) were inhabited by a rare fish species — the Turkestan barbel, included in the Red Book of endangered species of the Kyrgyz Republic, which requires special measures and actions.
Restrictive measures without artificial reproduction, protection and scientific research support will not be able to ensure the restoration of commercial fish stocks. The introduction of a moratorium on fishing of commercial, endemic and especially valuable fish species is not effective enough, and therefore it is necessary to strengthen the protection of fish stocks and, in parallel, carry out measures for the artificial reproduction of fish resources, the Ministry of Agriculture noted.
