A Sakhalin resident orchestrated a poaching operation targeting kaluga, a red-listed and highly protected freshwater fish belonging to the beluga lineage of sturgeons.
The organizers included elderly acquaintances who were enlisted as accomplices. Police detained the group in Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky after information surfaced through a local Telegram channel known as “PE Sakhalin.” They are now charged with illegal production and sale of red-listed fish.
The female founder, who led the syndicate, purchased motorboats, nets, and other gear to sustain the illicit activity. Following the arrests, authorities conducted a search and recovered six pieces of kaluga meat from a freezer. Investigators also found five additional fillets in the home of the poachers’ female leader’s mother. The operation caused over 1 million rubles in financial damage to the state.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that a criminal case has been opened against the poachers.
Kaluga is a sizable freshwater fish within the beluga group of the sturgeon family. Historically known as a stick during the 18th century, it inhabits temperate zones from approximately 43 to 55 degrees north, primarily in the Amur basin. It can be found at depths up to 50 meters and has long been valued in commercial fisheries.
Reliable population data remain limited in recent years. Russia’s Red Book estimates only about two thousand kaluga individuals aged two years or older existing in the wild. Both national and international conservation classifications note a continuing decline in kaluga numbers due to pollution of the Amur River, unrestricted commercial fishing near border regions, and poaching within Russia. Fishing within Russian waters has been prohibited since 1958, while kaluga fishing in adjacent Chinese waters has been licensed under state oversight.
The species is listed in both the Russian Red Book and the International Red Book. Hatcheries in Russia and China release fry on a limited scale, yet the overall kaluga population has not shown recovery since 2004.
Context for readers in North America and elsewhere: kaluga populations are a focal point of cross-border conservation efforts, and violations of protective status attract strong legal penalties in many jurisdictions. Analysts emphasize monitoring and enforcement to curb illicit trade and to support rehabilitative programs for sturgeon species globally, drawing on parallel cases and international conventions. Evidence and official statements on this case are summarized from authorities and public records cited for accountability.