Mass poaching and devastation of nature: what problems of the Tuzly Estuaries National Park are ignored by the Ministry of Ecology
Kyiv • UNN
The Tuzly Estuaries National Park faces serious problems that are being ignored by the Ministry of Ecology. Poaching, water supply problems and conflicts with local residents threaten the park's unique ecosystem.
The Tuzly Estuaries National Park in Odesa region, known for its unique ecosystems and biodiversity, faces a number of serious problems that remain without proper attention from the Ministry of Ecology. Despite numerous appeals from local communities, authorities and activists, the problems of the park continue to be ignored, which jeopardizes the preservation of this natural treasure of Ukraine, UNN reports .
Details
The main problems of the Tuzly Estuaries Park:
1. Poaching and illegal fishing: The lack of proper control by the national park management contributes to the growth of poaching in the park. Illegal fishing and hunting put significant pressure on the populations of rare and endangered species. The police detect poachers in the national park almost every month, but the problem is not systematically solved - the management justifies it by demand.
2. Problems with water supply: Neighboring communities claim that the national park administration ignores the problem of regulated water exchange between the estuaries and the Black Sea, which is why the protected estuaries are on the verge of drying up.
3. Wastefulness and bloated staff: the annual budget of the national park reaches UAH 6 million, of which almost all the money, namely 97%, is spent on salaries for 45 employees. At the same time, such a bloated staff cannot cope with its main functions - the protection of the entrusted nature, as evidenced by the massive facts of poaching.
4. Clashes with local residents over land that is not defined in nature, which leads to conflicts with the park's "neighbors". People complain that the management of the national park practices squatting and forbids locals to cultivate their land.
5. "Eternal" interim management: For almost 10 years, the Ministry of Ecology has been unable to hold a competition for the position of head of the national park, so two people have been actually replacing each other in the position and managing the park in the status of interim.
We would like to add that the Southern Office of the State Audit Service has recently completed an audit of the financial and economic activities of the Tuzly Estuaries National Park. The report was sent to the management.
Meanwhile, local residents and authorities are calling on the Ministry of Ecology to take decisive action to preserve the Tuzly Estuaries. They demand to strengthen control over compliance with environmental legislation, preserve the ecosystem, and appoint professional managers. The lack of response from the Ministry threatens to turn the Tuzly Estuaries from a unique nature reserve into another environmental disaster zone.
