Deputy Minister of Agriculture Zhanibek Kerimaliev reported that currently there are 545 registered fish farms in the country. However, Deputy Seitkazieva pointed out the existence of a law on aquaculture that lacks the necessary subordinate legislation, creating obstacles for legal regulation in this area.
She also emphasized that in the Issyk-Ata district, more than 100 fish farms operate without proper registration. Director of the Fisheries Department Jalilbek Toimatov added that there are 1,021 fish farms operating illegally across the country. Many entrepreneurs independently create ponds and dig holes without obtaining the necessary permits, after which they engage in fish breeding.
Toimatov noted that these farms could be legalized through the process of land transformation and obtaining the appropriate permits. The deputy called for the development of subordinate legislation that would help agricultural producers register fish farms and operate within the law.
During the meeting, the committee also discussed the draft law "On the Ratification of the Protocol Amending the Marrakech Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization." This document implies Kyrgyzstan's accession to the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
The agreement, adopted on June 17, 2022, at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva, is the first multilateral document with binding legal force focused on environmental protection and the sustainable use of marine biological resources. It establishes a ban on government support for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and overfishing of fish stocks, as well as defines key concepts in the field of fishing and the procedure for notifying about the detention of vessels suspected of violations.
As a result of the discussion, the draft law was approved by the committee in the first reading.
