Gathering and selling primroses will be fined: what flowers and what amounts of penalties

Illegal collection and sale of primroses is punishable by fines ranging from 153 to 3,655 hryvnias, the State Environmental Inspectorate reported on Friday, UNN reported.

Details

The agency announced the launch of measures to preserve rare and endangered early flowering plants. The SEI notes that a joint action plan for 2025 has already been approved, which includes the creation of special working groups and strengthening control over the conservation of plants listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine.

What species of early bloomers are under threat of extinction due to massive spring harvesting?

• snowdrops,
• saffron,
• white flower,
• Sleeping Grass,
• wild garlic,
• Adonis, and others.

The illegal collection, transportation or sale of these plants is subject to significant fines and administrative liability

What punishment is threatened

• The illegal acquisition, sale and distribution of flora is punishable by a fine of UAH 510 to UAH 1,700 (part one of Article 88-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).
• For the same actions committed against plants growing within the nature reserve fund, listed in the Red Book of Ukraine or protected by international treaties, the fine ranges from UAH 1,700 to UAH 3,655 (part two of Article 88-1).
• Illegal collection of plants within the nature reserve fund is punishable by a fine of 153 to 408 hryvnias with confiscation of the means of the offense and illegally extracted natural resources (Article 91).
• The destruction of plants listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine is punishable by a fine of 340 to 510 hryvnias with subsequent confiscation (Article 91).

"We urge citizens to refuse to buy primroses and support the preservation of natural biodiversity," the SEI emphasized.

For reference

Primroses is a collective folk name for early flowering spring plants. There are more than 40 species of these plants. Plucked or torn out with the bulb primroses are a devastating harm to nature: plants lose the ability to form seeds and give rise to a new generation in the future. And torn out flowers with bulbs generally lead to their complete destruction, the State Ecological Inspectorate notes.