+65 arrested in Iraq’s Duhok for fishing ban violations

Shafaq News/ The Peshmerga Environmental Protection Forces in Duhok province have detained 68 individuals for violating the fishing ban in Mosul Dam Lake, Major Ramadan Siyari, the force’s Emergency Officer, informed Shafaq News on Monday.

The arrests followed a 72-hour operation targeting unauthorized fishing activity, conducted despite an official moratorium in effect until June 20. Authorities confiscated more than 400 kilograms of fish and over 300 pieces of fishing equipment, including rods, nets, and boat engines.

According to Siyari, violations have increased significantly this year, with 122 individuals detained during the current ban period alongside substantial seizures of illegal gear. “The rise in breaches threatens the sustainability of our fish stocks and disrupts the ecological balance we strive to protect,” he noted.

Notably, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) imposed the fishing ban from March 20 to June 20 to protect aquatic resources and maintain ecological balance in internal waters. In parallel, Iraq’s Agriculture Ministry has released tens of millions of carp fingerlings into various water bodies nationwide, bolstering the fish populations and supporting aquatic ecosystems.