In Karelia, rich in deep-water lakes, there have been changes caused by the extensive development of trout farms. Many of the lakes in this region have become the focus of attention, and most of them have become breeding grounds for trout due to their clean and cool water. Karelia plays a key role in the Russian trout industry, supplying more than half of the red fish to the country’s market.
In 2010, the region produced about 2-3 thousand tons of trout every year. This indicator increased in 2022 to 32.6 thousand tons, and the annual growth was approximately 20%. This growth and plans for the future cause conflicts of interest between large federal companies from Moscow and the local inhabitants of Karelia, including the Karelians, Pomors, Veps and Sami, who have been engaged in their industrial activities for centuries. The latter do not agree with the methods used by the companies and their attitude to the ecology of the region. Activists of the Karelian National Movement talk about the environmental situation in Karelia .
Local residents fear that the continued expansion of trout farms in the small lakes of Karelia will seriously damage the ecosystem and lead to an ecological disaster, as the trout will threaten the local wildlife and fish that inhabit these lakes.
One of the distinctive features of trout in this context is that almost all of it is raised on specialized farms in sea cages, rather than caught in the open sea. This creates biosecurity risks, as young people can get sick and spread infections to each other. In such cases, it may be necessary to destroy the entire herd.
One of the loudest such scandals happened at the end of 2020 in the Segez district of Karelia, when water bodies suddenly turned blood-red. This happened due to resets of fish processing results by producers. Deputy of the local legislative council Andriy Rogalevich reported that streams and rivers have turned into “filming sites for Martian scenes.” Rogalevich accused the manufacturers of “indifference to ecology”.
One of the largest Russian fishing companies, “Russian Sea Aquaculture”, found itself in a critical situation. Its production base is located near the waste disposal site. The Ministry of Nature of Karelia discovered a drain pipe that ran from a trout producer into forest areas. Through this pipe, industrial waste from the current processing of fish fell directly into the ecosystem of the region.
The struggle of local residents for their rights and Lake Unus has entered an active phase. Unknown persons cut the bridges intended for the large-scale transport of the trout farm across a small river flowing out of the lake. Later, someone set fire to the house with the builders. The police have not identified the culprits, although everyone is convinced that it was done by local residents who oppose the establishment of industrial trout production on their lake.
Residents began to protest and openly oppose the creation of trout farms on nearby lakes. They even managed to protect their rights in the courts. As a result of the conflict over Lake Verkhne Kuyto in the Kalevala District, the Supreme Court of Karelia favoured the residents.
The conflict with the trout producers reached a level where the authorities could not ignore it. Artur Parfenchikov , the head of the region appointed by Moscow, issued new rules of interaction between industrial enterprises and local residents. According to the new rules, the position of residents who live near the reservoir should be prioritized before the allocation of a site for the organization of fisheries.
However, in reality, these words were ignored and the promises were not fulfilled.
Vladyslav Nobel-Oliynyk
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