The family is not without nature

The Russian authorities announced ecologists to be completely destroyed. For what environmental protection organizations are recognized as “foreign agents”: an example of “ecovakhta Sakhalin”

For 27 years, the Ecological Watch worked on Sakhalin. It doesn't work anymore. These defenders of nature, in truth, have fed up with the whole order. Due to their activities (unambiguously wrecking), large oil and gas projects were forced to increase safety standards, gold miners stopped polluting spawning rivers, foresters stopped cutting in reserves, “whale prisons” were closed, treatment facilities on oil fields were built ... It was unacceptable to endure this disgrace, and the most with the defenders of nature were overlined. A simple and understandable method. On December 16, Ekovakhta Sakhalin, by denunciation, was recognized as a “foreign agent”, as well as another organization of the island region - “the Center for the Save and the Study of Salmon fish and their habitats”.

What are they

"Ecological Watch of Sakhalin" is a non -profit organization opened in 1995. She defended the wild nature of the island region. Volunteers, journalists, scientists, businessmen helped Eokovakhta.

In 2015, the organization was already recognized as a “foreign agent”, but in the courts, up to the ECHR, it was possible to prove the opposite - compensation, however, did not pay ecologists. Since 2015, in fact, the organization has no foreign financing. Prior to this, they, for example, hundreds of Russian scientists, received grants, exclusively private.

Moreover, in February 2022, the Ministry of Justice already checked the organization and signs of foreign agency, foreign financing or influence, and also did not find political activity.

But then February, and then December.

“The inspectors decided that we are under“ foreign influence ”, since several members of the ecovakhta (who do not work in the organization) work in another organization (center for studying and preserving salmon fish), which receives foreign financing. And two members of the organization were attributed to political activity in public events in which they participated personally on their own behalf, and not from Ekovakhta, the organization’s members write.

With the center for the study and preservation of salmon fish, Ekovakhta collaborated. But this is not prohibited by law and does not entail an automatic foreign agency (this is not a game of robber Cossacks).

The liquidation of the organization will last another three months. Eokovakhta will go to court to challenge the penalty for not voluntarily entered themselves to the register of “foreign agents”. Environmentalists do not intend to dispute the decision of the Ministry of Justice to include in the register, because they do not see any sense in this.

How they were destroyed

Closed the "ecological shift" for denunciation. Who wrote the complaint is unknown. Social activists intend to seek the truth in Russian courts (there is only good luck here): “We did not violate the laws, we were not under any influence and always worked only to ensure the environmental safety of our native country and preserving its unique wildlife. And this is known by everyone who is familiar with the activities of Ekovakhta. Times are not chosen, but you can choose how to live in these times. Unfortunately, our only choice today is the completion of projects and the liquidation of the organization, ”Eokovakhta said.

Explaining why it is impossible to work in the status of “in agent”, Ekovakhta Sakhalin speaks of responsibilities and restrictions (including when applying to the authorities), bonded reporting, expensive audit, and the need to notify about programs and events before the start. “The foreign agent is prohibited from participating in advisory, advisory and expert commissions with the authorities, conduct an anti -corruption examination, organize a referendum and public events,” add eco -activists. - It is impossible to carry out educational activities for minors, to receive state support, it is forbidden to conduct a public environmental examination. And that's not all.

Any violation is a large fine.

That is, we did not keep track of one of the members, and he wrote a post or comment without marking-a fine. We went on an urgent raid and did not have time to notify the Ministry of Justice - a fine.

They came to the round table and performed, and there suddenly the minor turned out to be a fine. And so on. And two fines during the year are a criminal case. All our work will be monitored, submitting reports and notifications about each of our sneezing under a high risk of criminal case and large fines. We have no strength, means and desires for this. ”

What they did

The “watchmen” themselves in social networks remind of the results of their work over the years. The list is far from complete:

• “The ban on the discharge of drilling waste into all seas of Russia.

• The preservation of the last large massif of the Virgin Sakhalin Forest and the creation of the Vostochny reserve to protect its reserve.

• The introduction of a ban on a destructive oblique-terrace technology at Sakhalin logging and logging in all island reserves.

• The liquidation of the huge oil lake "Rosneft" in the village. Katangli and the construction of treatment facilities on the oil refineries of this company.

• Salvation from the disappearance of the unique population of Western gray whales in the north-east of Sakhalin and a record increase in environmental standards and safety at the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 international oil and gas projects.

• The complete cessation of garbage burning at the main landfill of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and blocking the construction of a new garbage training ground near the village. Khomutovo.

• Protection of nature monuments "River Anna" and "Lake Busse" from the introduction of industrial fishing there.

• The cessation of the pollution of the large spawning river Langery with gold mining waste, which lasted 50 years, and the complete restoration of the spawning of the salmon in it.

• The release of almost hundreds of braids and beluga from the “whale prison”, the introduction of a population of the Far Eastern carnivorous killer whale in the Red Book and the complete cessation of catching living whales in the Far East for the entertainment industry.

From the first person

The correspondent of Novo-Europe talked with the head of the Ecological Watch of Sakhalin Dmitry Lisitsyn.

Dmitry Lisitsyn

Head of "Ecological Watch Sakhalin"

- So what exactly?

- How do we know? A certain citizen filed a complaint. We do not know either his name or any other information. The Ministry of Justice showed us a copy of the data closed.

- And who could? Rosneft? Gas workers?

- Yes, anyone could, understand? It is unlikely that Rosneft - recently, it has significantly reduced the crafts, covered problem areas. The new owner came. We did not particularly engage in this area, because there were no big problems. Local oil workers, an independent company, who replaced Rosneft, apparently allowed a company (not even a company, but a group of people with equipment), sawing into scrap metal and picking up an oil pipeline. They began to do this, and the oil, which remained in the pipes, was simply drained. The locals informed us, we raised noise, handed over to the press. The state bodies eventually intervened, began to operate, stopped and ordered. But this is such a small episode, it is unlikely that for this. Although you know: anyone could. We really prevented the government of the Sakhalin region from cutting down unique forests in the vicinity of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk during the construction of the infrastructure of the Mountain Air ski complex, the construction of hotels and the like. They built a road there, and we, having won several trials, stopped construction. True, then the cassation instance canceled this decision, and they continued to build the road. She threatened the largest Glen Lilia population in Russia, this is a very beautiful red -hot flower, endemic Sakhalin. For several years there was a lawsuit to preserve the population, but part of it suffered during the construction of the road.

We are now conducting a lawsuit to suspend the work of the new solid waste training ground, which is simply ugly built, poorly operated and is a serious source of pollution of the spawning river of plantain, which flows into the Lake Tunaic. This is a very important and valuable water system, which is a regional natural monument. Pollution is already approaching it, garbage is scattered around. The landfill acts without permission to discharge wastewater, without treatment facilities.

And plus the "salmon question".

We strongly interfere with the fishing industries in the provision of Pacific salmon: mainly pink salmon in the northeast of Sakhalin as they would like.

And they want to lead him as long as long as long as long as. And intercept the fish that approaches from the shore to large spawning rivers. As a result, important, large rivers remain empty, and a small group of very influential fish producers in the southern part of the northeastern coast, starting from the Pattern Peninsula, caught fish, which must be passed to the spawning so that the rivers are filled.

- Do you continue to participate in the courts?

- We have only one current process - according to the landfill of solid household waste. An appeal was prescribed for January. We think that we will have time to finish it to the end. For at least another three months we will need to close the organization, so we expect to complete this matter. And we will not take new ones. We can’t just start them, because this status ...

- Will you register a new organization?

- We do not know yet. Now we are working on different options on how to continue work. But there is no solution yet. The organization consisted of 14 people. We asked all members to apply for the exit-there are four to five people left, the staff will be reduced to three, apparently. Just so that this does not affect public in order to protect them as much as possible. Everyone understands everything.

-Maybe there were some calls, warnings?

- No, absolutely nothing! Just one beautiful November day, from the Ministry of Justice, we receive a notification that in our regard is a check.

- You do not have foreign financing. And what is there?

- “Ecological Watch of Sakhalin” since 2015 has not received foreign financing in any form. This is all you need to know. We wrote this in our explanation to the Ministry of Justice. In 2015, we were declared a foreign agent, brought to the register. We have sought exception for 1.5 years. And since that time we stopped receiving money from abroad.

Funds for our activities have come from Russian individuals and legal entities for these seven years. From the beginning of our work to its completion, we strictly adhered to the principle: we did not take money from the state.

Even until 2015, the foreign grants that we received were exclusively from private funds, not government and non -corporate.

And now: we did not receive Russian state grants, only donations from individuals and private commercial companies. For example, fish industry, which, from our point of view, conduct stable fishing - mainly Sakhalin enterprises. We were supported by Lush, its Russian legal entity for more than ten years. But in connection with the outbreak of war, they left Russia. We had a lot of small sources, small environmental startups. Taiga projects (they make a lot of souvenir eco -products), Aroma Case (they produce biodegradable covers from straws for phones). The singer and model Julia Parshuta supported us - she had a line of ecological jewelry, and, like Lush, she showed that she transfers part of the profit from sales to charity. Many people support us. On Sakhalin there is an entrepreneur who has several stores - for 15 years he has been transferring a certain amount every month. There is a project Mail.Ru “Good”, there people donate to certain projects, we raised funds there.

From December 1, a law came into force by which you can not have foreign financing, sufficiently foreign influence. So it was attributed to us.