Part one.

Not all the inhabitants of the Crimea you know that in ancient times the city of Kerch was called “Panticapaeum”, which means in Greek “the fish way”. Once on the shore of the Kerch Strait, settlers from Miletus, was stunned by the abundance of fish. The Greek - born fishermen who felt that he was in a blessed land, and settled at the low mountains on the shore of the Strait and founded the city. The sea of Azov they called meeticcom lake, and the Romans called it Meeticcom swamp. In General, it was renamed many times depending on who dwell on its shores. The Tatar-Mongol invaders gave it the name of Balyk-dengiz (sea fish). Well, modern Russian name of the sea of Azov caught from the SEVENTEENTH century through the annals of Boxing.

Strabo, the Greek geographer, describing his trip on the Cimmerian Bosporus, i.e. the Kerch Strait, noted that the Cimmerian Bosporus and Meotida (Azov sea) fish are unusually rich. And the city is located on a large hill in a beautiful Bay, established compatriots, as many fish that if you put a pole, it will stand. So.

If you put aside the enthusiastic exaggeration, characteristic of the ancient Greeks, the assertion that fish was very much can agree. As a result of archaeological excavations in the ancient Panticapaeum and coastal towns on the shore of the Kerch Strait was found a large quantity zadelnyh pits with fragments of fish – scales, sturgeon bugs, bony fin rays, vertebrae. In the capital of the Bosporan Kingdom were published even coins depicting the head of a sturgeon. The ancient Greeks used a fish not only for domestic consumption but also in a large number of valuable fish (sturgeon, red mullet, etc.) were taken outside of the Bosporus.

The economic welfare of cities, and the whole Bosporan Kingdom was dependent on prey fish. In dry years, or during the attacks of the many enemies that almost completely cleaned up grain stocks of the townspeople and villagers, fish and only fish saved the inhabitants of the Bosporan Kingdom from starvation. She was caught in sufficient quantity for food purposes and in time of peace and for export outside the country to exchange goods they produced.

Indeed the fish were “gold reserve” of the state. Since ancient times people on the shores of the maeotis benefit from her wealth, without causing her any damage.

About the size of their production in the Russian Empire in the first half of the 16th century, tells a very revealing recording, discovered in the ancient monastic Chronicles.For the consumption of only one Trinity-Sergius Monastery, 6000 sturgeons and stellate sturgeons, 300 belugas, 600 pounds of black caviar, 15 barrels of salted sturgeon, 500 backs and 200 beluga tesh were delivered annually.

The French fortifier, mathematician, cartographer and talented writer of the 17th century G. Boplan, who built fortresses on the territory of the Commonwealth, in his volume “Description of Ukraine”, describing the life of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, noted that the Cossacks living on about. Khortytsya, every morning so many sturgeons and other valuable fish were caught on the Dnieper that several thousand people were able to feed for the whole day. He was struck by the incredible wealth of the Ukrainian river with innumerable fish. Well, these are all the old days.

But back in the 19th century, ordinary inhabitants of Ukraine and Russia not only salted caviar, but also boiled it in vinegar or poppy milk, steamed in clay pots, served to oven potatoes, added to lean pancakes instead of eggs and to salty broth instead of meat.

Until the middle of the twentieth century, in the Russian Empire, and then in the USSR, it was one of the main fishing reservoirs that supplied valuable fish to the whole country.

However, in the second half of the century, its role in the fishery declined sharply. Fishing with imperfect gear, for thousands of years could not bring so much harm to many people, the crown of nature for several decades of the twentieth century.

Large-scale water engineering on major rivers flowing into the Azov sea, in the 50-70-ies of the last century, has had a deleterious effect on the reproduction of valuable migratory fish (mostly sturgeon), blocking their access to spawning sites. Sturgeon fish a certain part of their lives are the rivers, where their spawning grounds, therefore, the path to them was blocked, and they were filled with concern.

Natural reproduction has thus virtually ceased to exist that impact negatively on their numbers.

On the recommendation of the scientists were taken on artificial reproduction of sturgeon. And it is allowed in some extent change the situation for the better. At the same time with the use of native manufacturers, starting с1963 1989, by order of the USSR Ministry of fishery were used for mass transportation of Caspian sturgeon larvae, which were then released in the sea of Azov. In General, the intensification of artificial reproduction had a positive effect on the supply of these valuable fish in the sea of Azov. By the end of 80-ies was already a marked increase in the abundance and biomass of sturgeons. The release of hatchery-origin fish was sturgeon over 80%, stellate sturgeon 90%, and virtually all Beluga was of artificial origin. Existing minor fishing for sturgeon is not rendered to the population significant negative impact. Many residents of the Crimea still remember that time when they bought in the market at very inexpensive price sturgeon carcasses and caviar for a sick child.

In 80-e years of the XX century export of caviar has provided the lion's share of foreign exchange earnings to the state budget of the USSR - oil then fell sharply in price.

The collapse of the USSR resulted in a sharp drop in living standards and an unprecedented criminalization of society in former great country. In the sea of Azov began a wild Orgy involving a real defeat and predatory extermination of valuable species of fish, mainly sturgeon, under the roof of mafia structures. Poaching brigade was equipped with the most modern imported equipment. Powerful American and Japanese outboard motors of the “mercury” to 100 BHP, satellite navigation devices allowed them to put a network in the open sea. Lovers of easy money as if stunned by impunity.Corruption in fisheries, law enforcement and other government agencies designed to control the fishing industry and protect sturgeons has reached unprecedented proportions. Power was paralyzed. Even the fishing brigades and seiners, leading scientific fishing for monitoring the state of the number of sturgeons, fell under the gangster “roof”. Threatening the lives of captains, foremen and researchers, that is, observers from YugNIRO (the city of Kerch), as well as their families, they demanded to increase the number of exposed nets by an order of magnitude and more than provided for in the permit and accordingly seized a significant proportion of the fish caught. Working at that time as an observer from YugNIRO in fishing brigades and on seiners, I was not only a witness, but also a participant in the above events and more than once clashed with gangster thugs, for which I almost paid with my life.

When conducting trawl accounting surveys in the 90s, almost every trawl across the sea of Azov boarded together with the trawl a huge number of unaccounted-for trawl nets. Ukrainian and Russian scientists calculated that their number was so large (up to 40 thousand units) that they could withdraw up to 10 thousand tons of valuable sturgeon annually, with the allowable catch recommended by YugNIRO - 40 tons, for harvesting producers and collecting scientific data. The absolute total number of sturgeon, according to scientific surveys, in 2009 compared to 1988, when its maximum value was 14120 thousand. during this period, it decreased to 226 thousand copies, which is only 1.9 % of the specified number of this species in 1988. The number of sevruga from 1988 to 2007 decreased, respectively, from 3396 thousand copies. up to 8 thousand copies, which was only 0.23 % of the calculated value in 1988. For the entire period of the accounting survey in 2009, 30 specimens were caught in the sea of Azov. juveniles of the Russian sturgeon and stellate sturgeon only 3.

These data confirm the catastrophic decline and the depressed state of the commercial stock of sturgeon fish. Simultaneously with the decline of the adult population was an intensive withdrawal of Deposit, i.e. juveniles coming into the fishery and first maturing fish. If at the beginning of the 90s of poachers used the network mainly with a mesh of 110-140 mm by the end of 90 – net with mesh size of 80-90 mm, designed for young sturgeon fish, thereby undermining the stock replenishment. As a result, the juveniles in trawl catches during the account of the shooting, was presented to very small groups and first-time spawning fish single individuals. Watching this Orgy of and impunity, the fishing seiner owned by a moribund the fishing collective farms, trying if possible to snatch their share and cleaned up all the known wintering holes sturgeon and “finished” other valuable species, including the latter-day invader of the pilengas in excess of recommended science quota. That was a dark time, both for marine life and for people, whose life was inextricably linked with the sea.

Their reproduction in the Russian hatcheries of the Azov sea has stopped, as in Russia, stated that modern Azov sturgeon culture, financed from the state budget, working to create raw material base for the shadow economy. Minor release of juveniles of the Russian sturgeon continues to produce only the Dnieper sturgeon plant (Kherson) in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, i.e. in the Black sea.

The number of sturgeon and stellate sturgeon, currently, depends not only on their artificial reproduction, but as already noted, no less for the preservation of the herd of sturgeon affects the effectiveness of the conservation measures. Previously, it was believed that at low number of valuable fish poaching on a large scale to some extent becomes unprofitable and will subside. This view is justified only in part. In a market economy, prices on sturgeon has increased so much that even a single fish caught becomes profitable, and filled with eggs, the female becomes truly Golden. And still have poachers you can buy the whole “goldfish”, mostly juveniles. The situation is aggravated also hunting for haarder, as displayed on a network is both a trap for juvenile sturgeon. The problem of poaching has been repeatedly discussed in the media and in Russia, but no effective measures, as well as in Ukraine, was not accepted. This is a very complex socio-economic problem. And if Russia and Ukraine will not solve it, then we could lose the population of sturgeon in the level of the natural gene pool and the mention of these valuable fish of the Azov sea will remain only in the descriptions of the Greek geographer Strabo, which is a pity.

Part two.

The sea of Azov - the oldest fishing district. One of the most productive, rich in fish of the seas of the world. The basis of the fisheries was not only sturgeons, but also dozens of other unbeatable taste and valuable fish of our Azov sea – pike, flounder-Kalkan, mullets fish, etc.

Sudak. Now rarely seen on the shelves of the stall carcass valuable dietary fish, which are very highly appreciated in Europe – Azov pike-perch. As you know, pike is a rather large fish and lives in many rivers and ponds of Europe and Asia. But not everyone knows that its taste is much of the Azov pike-perch, I repeat, much higher than their counterparts in other rivers and seas. He has an excellent meat diet, whose price on the European markets much higher than fish of the same species caught in the waters of other countries. Currently, the walleye is virtually absent in the sea of Azov, and only occasionally obnovlyaetsya in the by-catch of a single specimen.

Plaice-Kalkan. Occasionally flashed in the markets previously very favorite Crimeans as thick as a homemade pie, the size of a large platter, up to half a meter, a delicious fish – plaice-Kalkan. Because of his youth and ignorance, I naively thought that flounders in all the seas are just as delicious as caught in the sea of Azov. Later, working in all the seas of the World ocean, I realized tastier the Azov-black sea flounder does not exist in the world.

Azov and black sea flounder with a delicate and pleasant taste. Turkey is ranked higher than sturgeon. Turkish fishermen go on a huge risk, oblasova it in Ukrainian economic waters. Many already arrested and confiscated by the Turkish courts for poaching in our zone.

Roach, sabrefish and shad, with an amber oily carcasses. When they were complete markets Azov seaside towns, and now will be shown on the market a dozen small roaches there called roach, and all.

Their share in the fish range make the black sea immigrants nagulivajut summer in the sea of Azov, and in the autumn of exhaust back into the Black sea (fish mullets, goatfish, anchovy). But they also had problems with them special conversation.

Azov goby. Especially everyone's favorite round. In 50-ies it was so much that the annual catch was reached 90 thousand tons, averaging 50-60 kt but as always happens with us, intense fishing has led to excessive withdrawal Bychkov, reduction of spawning habitat and feeding grounds, deterioration of feeding conditions and as a result depression of the herd. It should also be noted that the bulls themselves are prey for such valuable predatory fish such as pike, flounder-Kalkan. To keep the population of the Azov bull-calves, that means to some extent to restore the herd to the above valuable commercial fish of the Azov sea.

Very timely appeared the latter-day invader from the Far East haarder, who on the recommendation of the fishery science, in the 70-ies of the last century, was relocated and released in the sea of Azov.

The once powerful preexisting state, the airliner TU-104 with the resettled objects without end cruised from one end of the vast the vast country to another. Acclimatization and transplantation is an extremely complex process, no less complex than transplanting the organs of the human body, requiring compatibility of transplanted organs. Staff Pivdenniro (Kerch) made a huge effort to solve this problem. At the same time they developed bioengineering on its artificial cultivation. During the fish-breeding works in the estuaries of the Azov sea there were numerous larvae and fry of this fish. The purpose of above works was to obtain self-replicating herds of pilengas and its natural spawning. Finally, in 1989, was caught larvae and fry after natural spawning. Long-term and dedicated work of scientists ultimately yielded positive results and since the mid 90-ies of XX century in the Azov sea has formed self-reproducing populations of pilengas. In 1994, the haarder has already been recommended for commercial development.

Every year it catches in recent years within a few thousand tons, as in the Azov and Black sea. It already exploit in a large number of Turkish fishermen call this fish the Russian mullet. In a stable economic crisis haarder was a lifesaver for the residents of the Crimea and a significant contribution to the state of a valuable protein product. The population of the coastal cities of the Azov sea are not their fish menu without haarder, which they consider delicious Azov fish.

But came another problem. Almost completely destroying the sturgeon herd the poachers instantly shifted to this perspective for them to object. In each trawl during the research papers met the remnants of the torn pylegazovyh networks. How much they caught fish, we can only guess. Large-scale press of poaching is very high and, consequently, also large unaccounted for the actual removal of this species.

In addition, Pilengas experienced a huge fishing press, not only from poachers, but also from fishers choosing the “allowed quota”. For several years, three large-tonnage private vessels of the RT type operated in the Sea of ​​Azov, with horizontal opening of the trawl up to 100 meters, vertical 10 meters. And this is in the Sea of ​​Azov, where the maximum depth rarely exceeds the indicated opening of the trawl. During the passage of these ships with a trawl, in the wake, to the sea surface ejected silt is thrown out, sometimes masonry of calf caviar and the remnants of an overcrowded biocenosis, which feeds many bottom valuable fish, including pilengas.

The profitability of these vessels as follows (several tens of tons of fish per day), a couple of weeks they caught all the “allowed quota”, but they continued to withdraw. And stopped working only when profitability fell sharply. But in General, any ships trawling for bottom fishes of the sea of Azov disastrous.

The reduction of the stock of the haarder also due to the deterioration in recent years, conditions of reproduction in the Dairy estuary, where it was mainly the spawning of these fish in the Azov sea, the reclamation of which was not performed or was performed occasionally.

In recent years he rarely found as dense accumulations in the soil and shoals in the water column. In 2012 in the Azov sea, Ukrainian fishermen in 10 months (01 11) caught only 380 tons, the Russian fishermen on 01 09 caught 220 tons.

It should be noted that on the shore of the Kerch Strait (p. Cherished), it operates a fish farm with a full cycle, starting from the holding producers and the incubation of eggs of the haarder, black sea turbot and singila, their cultivation to the stage of fingerlings, with the subsequent release in the Kerch Strait. It is encouraging to see that despite the difficult financial situation, Pivdenniro is making every effort to restore the resource base of the above valuable fish.

On the biological productivity of the reservoir is also influenced by other factors over which the individual is affected only indirectly.

Sea creatures are very sensitive to changes in the ecosystem of the waters. Scientific and technical progress in the field of industrial activity is a very negative impact on the health of the Azov sea (notably the plant “Azovstal” in Mariupol).

The result is pollution, siltation and reduction of spawning grounds in a natural environment, killing the fish. Increasingly, outbreaks of Zamora, it is highly detrimental to the population of bottom fish, including steers. And the frequent shipwrecks in the Kerch Strait with spilled fuel and oil had exacerbated the environmental conditions and ultimately affect the state of fish stocks.

Ecologists are sounding the alarm around the globe. An international group of experts published the report, according to which the state of the seas and oceans is deteriorating at a catastrophic pace. Overfishing and industrial human activities have threatened the existence of the ocean and many seas, including the sea of Azov.

The damage caused by marine life, can change the oceans beyond recognition in a generation, and he will lose the ability to maintain the existence of humanity. Catastrophic consequences for man is so great, says an international team of experts, and so can affect the course of life on our little planet that it can be compared with the mass death of the dinosaurs. And what's worse – the lives of our children and future generations is under threat of extinction. Here are are coming days.

Vladimir Corcos.

candidate of biological Sciences.