To the present state of the winter pit of the Neman and Vilia rivers (with the territorial borders of the Republic of Belarus)

Abstract

The new version of the Rules for recreational fishing (Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus “On Fishing and Fisheries” dated July 21, 2021 No. 284) introduced a ban on all fishing within the boundaries of wintering pits, which required updating the lists and boundaries of pits for different categories of fishing grounds. The Fish Industry Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus together with the Laboratory of Ichthyology of the SNPO “Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Bioresources” conduct research on watercourses and reservoirs of the Republic of Belarus to clarify the boundaries of wintering pits. Currently, the list of wintering pits has been updated in relation to the channel sections of the rivers of the Neman basin with clarification of their boundaries. Hydrochemical studies were carried out at the sites of wintering pits on the river. Neman and Viliya within the territorial boundaries of the Grodno region. Collected hydrochemical, hydrological and bathymetric data on part of the wintering pits. On the river Neman total identified 27 wintering pits on the river Viliya — 5. The pits are located on meanders with indicators of high curvature of the channel turn, in creeks and flooded quarries. On average, the depths at the locations of the wintering pits rr. Neman and Viliya are about 4–5 m, the minimum marked depth is 3 m, the maximum is 11 m.