On April 18, the circuit court of the Shizhong District Court walked into Yuelai Town, Shizhong District, held an open court hearing and pronounced a verdict on a case of illegal fishing of aquatic products. Nearly 100 people, including relevant responsible comrades of the municipal and district courts and procuratorates, deputies to the district people's congress, members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, town and village cadres, fishery administration and law enforcement personnel, and villager representatives, attended the trial.
Case review
The prosecutor who undertook the trial introduced that on the evening of September 30, 2023, the defendants You Moumou and Li used fishing boats and electric fish tools to electric fish in the waters of the Minjiang Longsnout Fish National Aquatic Germplasm Resources Protection Area, Group 2, Daohua Village, Yuelai Town, Shizhong District, Leshan City. At about 3 o'clock in the morning of the next day, after returning to the shore, the two were stopped by the staff of the Agriculture and Rural Bureau of Shizhong District, and seized 22.875 kilograms of fish shells, soil phoenixes, grass carp, herring and other fish, and no national and provincial key protected aquatic wild animals were found. The catch has been detoxified. On October 8, the Shizhong District Agriculture and Rural Bureau transferred the case to the Shizhong District Branch of the Leshan Municipal Public Security Bureau. On October 9, You XX and Li XX were notified by the Central District Public Security Bureau of the city to be brought into the case by telephone.
Defendants You XX and Li XX violated the national laws and regulations on the protection of aquatic resources by using prohibited tools to catch aquatic products during the fishing ban period and in the fishing ban area, the circumstances were serious, and their conduct had violated the criminal law, constituting the crime of illegal fishing of aquatic products and was a joint crime, and should be punished. At the same time, the two defendants' illegal fishing of aquatic products destroyed the aquatic resources in Leshan in the Yangtze River basin and harmed the public interest, and they should bear civil liability for compensation in accordance with the law. Therefore, it was decided to sentence defendant You XX to nine months' imprisonment with a suspended sentence of one year and two months, and to sentence defendant Li X to eight months imprisonment with a one-year suspended sentence. At the same time, the two defendants were ordered to assume responsibility for ecological restoration and carry out breeding and release.
The defendant (first from left) released long-snouted bassfish fry into the Minjiang River basin in Shizhong District
After the verdict was announced, the two defendants expressed their obedience to the verdict and their willingness to immediately implement the ecological restoration plan for the damaged fishery. In the process of breeding and release, professionals from the procuratorate, court, public security and fishery administration departments of the central district of the city will give full guidance on the safety of the source of fish fry, the number and specifications of fish fry, and the operation procedures of fish fry. Under the supervision of everyone's witness, the two defendants orderly released the long-snouted bassfish fry into the Minjiang River basin in Shizhong District.
"We are deeply aware of the mistakes of our behavior of destroying the ecological environment, and we will definitely strengthen our legal study in the future, enhance our awareness of the rule of law, and be a law-abiding and environmentally friendly citizen. The two defendants promised on the spot. The lively fish fry flow into the river, adding new vitality to the river and promoting the effective restoration of the ecological environment of the national aquatic germplasm resources protection area.
It is understood that in order to effectively curb the illegal momentum of destroying the ecological environment and effectively maintain the ecological balance and sustainable development of the region, the Shizhong District Court passed the case of "circuit trial + on-the-spot judgment + on-the-spot performance", effectively giving play to the deterrent effect of the law and enhancing the people's awareness of the rule of law.
"Today's circuit court has a strong warning effect on the fact that we ordinary people have a strong sense of how illegal fishing can be a criminal offense. On the other hand, we will consciously abide by the fishing ban. Li Yuebing, a villager in Lizhiwan Village, Yuelai Town, said.
On the same day, the Shizhong District Procuratorate organized on-site legal popularization activities, and the procurators popularized the legal knowledge of ecological and environmental protection closely related to daily production and life to the masses by distributing publicity materials and answering questions. Through the explanation of relevant typical cases, the law is explained by cases, and the masses are guided to give full play to the role of social supervision and actively participate in ecological protection while enhancing the public's awareness of ecological environmental protection.
Source: Rong Media Center, Shizhong District, Leshan City
Reporter: Zhang Jingqiu
Editor: Chen Sijie
Editor-in-charge: Zhang Dayang
Editor-in-chief: Wang Zhuoran