More than 30 law enforcement officers of Primorye were trained at refresher courses on the "Fundamentals of violations of rules of hunting and forest legislation" program.
The courses at the Institute for Advanced Studies and Retraining of Primorskaya State Academy of Agriculture were organized on May 30 - June 4. The participants were investigators and detectives of the Police Department of Primorsky Krai. Classes on complex issues of law enforcement practice in the sphere of forest regulation and anti-poaching were held by employees of the Amur Tiger Center, the Department of hunting supervision of Primorsky Krai, Primorsky interdistrict environmental prosecutor's office and by teachers of PSAA, lawyers and professionals.
"We have tried to cover a wide range of specific issues: from the study of regulations, recognizing the right of hunting and permits for wood harvesting to methods of investigation of criminal cases on illegal hunting and illegal logging, - says Anatoly Kabanets. – I, as an expert in the public identification of illegal logging, consider it important that the topic on the protective forest thinning was discussed in details, because in recent years it has had turned into cutting income. Given the fact that poaching and illegal logging are often carried out by the same people who are well oriented in the woods and can skillfully cover up traces of their crimes, it is important that experts in hunting and forestry share their specific knowledge with law enforcement officials."
In order to consolidate the theoretical knowledge a round table and a trip to the Animal disease diagnostic Center were organized. The center was created in 2013 at the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine PSAA. Participants were able to witness the examination of dead wild animals. Director of the Primorsky branch of the Amur Tiger Center Sergey Aramilev acquainted participants with the procedures of appointment and conducting of judicial biological examinations and investigations on both criminal and administrative cases.
"Tighter legislation causes a corresponding increase in the resistance of poachers to punishment. It must be admitted that the legal literacy of the population is growing, and one rarely sees a "simpleton" who confesses all at once and signs the protocol, - says Sergey Aramilev. - In this regard, law enforcement agencies must keep up with the offenders in the level of their knowledge. Crimes against animals and the forest are complex in the investigation. I'm glad I had the opportunity to share my knowledge so that the police can work more effectively. Toughening laws are useless if the laws themselves do not work."
Over the last year this is the second training course in cooperation with the law enforcement agencies of Primorye. The classes were given with a glance on the changes in the legislation made in 2013 which strengthened the administrative and criminal liability for offenses and crimes in the field of timber production and wildlife, as well as on Vladimir Putin’s List of instructions to the government of the Russian Federation on the conservation of Amur tigers and Amur leopards.
"Participants had a review of law regulation practice on illegal hunting, were explained the difference between a criminal offense by an administrative offense - says Olga Zherebkina. - Also It is time to discuss the practice under article 258.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on illegal hunting and trafficking of high-value wildlife and aquatic biological resources belonging to the species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and (or) protected by international treaties of the Russian Federation which was added to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation by the federal law № 150 on 07.02.2013. In the near future the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offences will be complemented with an Article on illegal traffic of wood. In this case, the participants were informed on the legislator’s thoughts on detecting illegal trafficking of timber while exporting, transporting, selling and other."
At the completion of the "Fundamentals of violations of rules of hunting and forest law" course the participants have received certificates of the Institute of training and retraining of personnel of Primorskaya State Academy of Agriculture which is a government document on professional development. The gained knowledge will help restore order in the sphere of nature and successfully fight against violators of environmental legislation.