Meeting of the Public Environmental Council

 

The event was devoted to the topic “Ecological and legal regulation of tourist activities in the region”, where they considered the problem of the negative impact on whales and other marine mammals living in the coastal zone of the Barents Sea in the waters of the Teriberka Bay and the Rybachy Peninsula. In recent years, tourist activities have been actively developing in these areas, part of which is the observation of marine mammals.

 

Scientists drew attention to the fact that all marine mammals often recorded in these waters are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the Murmansk Region.

 

Recently, cases of cetaceans getting entangled in trawls and being injured by the propellers of watercraft have been registered. This is causing concern in the scientific community, the public and representatives of environmental organizations.

 

As a result of active discussion, the participants unanimously agreed on the need for environmental and legal regulation of tourist activities in the region related to observations of marine animals.

 

A decision was made to develop rules for observing marine mammals, to bring them to the attention of guides, travel companies and boat captains. Also, warning signs will be installed at the places where tourists board ships and information will be provided on how to behave with marine inhabitants without causing them any harm.

 

Press service of VNIRO