The Employees of Samtskhe-Javakheti Regional Administration of the Environmental Supervision Department of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture, together with the employees of the Regional Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Aspindza, revealed the fact of illegal fishing in Aspindza Municipality.
The Environmental Supervision Department in Georgia shared the details about this information on its official Facebook page on February 17, 2026, Tuesday. The joint operation was carried out as part of coordinated efforts to combat environmental crimes and strengthen monitoring of water resources in the region.
According to the details shared by the Environment Department, it should be noted that near the village of Rustavi, on the river Mtkvari, citizens were fishing using electric weapons. Violators had illegally obtained 61 kg of fish of different species.
Fishing with electric weapons means criminal responsibility; therefore, an investigation has been started in the regional authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Aspindza.
Electric weapons are a threat to human life and health; manufacturing, purchasing, storing, carrying, transporting, shipping, transferring, or keying electric weapons is punishable by law.
Fighting against poaching is a priority for the Department of Environmental Supervision. By 2025, department officials have identified 805 cases of illegal fishing, 368 of them containing criminal charges. Regarding fishing with electric weapons, last year, 59 cases of illegal fishing with this prohibited means were reported.
Environmental Oversight Department crews carry out 24-hour non-stop patrols across the country to prevent, detect, and respond to illegal fishing, poaching, and other environmental violations promptly. In addition, an immediate response is made to each message received on the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture’s hotline (153). In recent years, there has been an increased rate of factual disclosure against illegal fishing, resulting in increased control opportunities.
