Picking hawthorn proves costly: Two people fined heavily in Navoi
In the Navoi region, a recent raid by eco-inspectors ended in unexpected financial losses for two local citizens who were busy gathering nature's bounty in a mountainous area. Two individuals who picked wild hawthorn fruit without the necessary permits in the mountainous areas of the "Angidon" mahalla in the Khatyrchi district were issued administrative fines totaling 7 million 480 thousand soums.
Furthermore, they will be required to compensate for the damage caused to nature out of their own pockets.
"Caught in the act": Details of the incident and the report
According to the official report from the Navoi Regional Department of Ecology and Climate Change, the incident occurred during routine monitoring of environmental protection in mountainous areas by eco-police officers:
Violators: Citizens identified as Sh.S. and Yo.R. were caught illegally gathering and transporting wild hawthorn fruit growing naturally on the mountainside;
Administrative article: A report was drawn up against them under Article 79¹, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility (Violation of the procedure and conditions for gathering, preparing, and using objects of the plant world);
Differential penalty: One of the offenders was fined 10 times the base calculation amount (BHM) (3 million 700 thousand soums), and the other was fined 7 times the BHM (2 million 590 thousand soums);
Compensation for damages: In addition to the fines, they were ordered to pay an additional 1 million 3 thousand 200 soums as mandatory compensation for the damage caused to nature. As a result, this hawthorn excursion cost the citizens a total of nearly 8.5 million soums.
Why is picking wild fruits considered a violation of the law?
For many, gathering wild fruits in nature may seem like a simple and harmless activity, but according to Uzbekistan's legislation, this process is strictly regulated:
Maintaining natural balance: Excessive and irregular gathering of plants hinders their regeneration, disrupts the seeding chain, and harms the local ecosystem;
Auction procedure: In accordance with current Cabinet of Ministers resolutions, the right to use wild-growing plants and their fruits (including hawthorn, rosehip, etc.) for commercial or large-scale gathering can only be obtained through electronic online auctions;
Raids are being intensified: Recently, the fight against illegal gatherers and poachers in mountainous and forest areas by eco-police and inspectors has been strengthened, with regular monitoring being conducted using drones and special equipment.
Ecologists warn citizens to strictly adhere to legislation when using natural resources, otherwise, they may face large administrative fines for just a few kilograms of natural produce.
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