Three men convicted for illegal crayfish poaching in Estonia

Harju County Court has found three men guilty of illegally catching river crayfish during a protected period. The men, aged between 41 and 54, were fined and ordered to compensate for environmental damage.

A court in Estonia has handed down convictions to three men caught poaching river crayfish during a legally protected season. Harju County Court found all three defendants — aged 41, and up to 54 years old — guilty of violating fishing regulations designed to protect the country's freshwater ecosystems.

The court imposed monetary fines on each of the convicted men and ordered them to pay compensation for the environmental damage caused by their illegal activities. River crayfish populations in Estonia are considered vulnerable, and seasonal restrictions exist to allow stocks to recover and reproduce.

Poaching during protected periods is treated seriously under Estonian environmental law, as it undermines conservation efforts aimed at preserving native species. Authorities have been stepping up enforcement of fishing regulations in recent years to combat illegal harvesting of protected freshwater species.