Public Joint Stock Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works : MMK restores bioresources in the Ural River

25.09.2020

Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) is implementing a programme for the conservation and improvement of biological diversity in the Chelyabinsk region. One of the key elements of the programme is the restoration and development of biodiversity in the Ural River and the Magnitogorsk Reservoir.

On September 24, the third stage of stocking took place in the Magnitogorsk Reservoir. About 200 thousand young carp were released near the 'Cossack Crossing' bridge.

The event was attended by representatives of Nizhneobskiy Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, the State Inspector of the Department of State Control, Supervision and Protection of Aquatic Biological Resources, representatives of the Magnitogorsk Department of Environmental Protection and Ecological Control, representatives of the Chelyabinsk Ministry of Agriculture and representatives of MMK's environmental protection laboratory and water supply department.

Since 2018, aquatic biological resources, including amost 800,000 young carp specimens, have been artificially reproduced as part of MMK's project to reconstruct the circulating water supply system and expand the coolant reservoir.

In November 2018, a hydraulic complex, including a separation dam, was put into operation in the Magnitogorsk Reservoir, as part of MMK's largest environmental protection project. The project provided not only for the construction of a hydraulic complex, but also for the implementation of measures aimed at restoring bioresources in the Ural River, as well as greening spaces along the entire length of the dam (with spherical willow and Hungarian lilac).

Activities aimed at restoring aquatic bioresources and their habitats are carried out on the basis of a contract concluded with Nizhneobskiy Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries for the artificial reproduction of aquatic bioresources (one of the essential conditions of the contract is to provide aquatic bioresources for fishing). The contract was approved by MMK Management.

Nizhneobskiy Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, together with the Federal Agency for Fisheries, chose the species of fish for the project. Initially, particularly valuable species, including broad whitefish, Muksun, and Sterlet, were considered. However, there were doubts that these species would take root, since historically they have not been found in the area. Therefore, carp was chosen since it is an indigenous species of the Ural River.

The project is designed in four stages. In 2018, 204,000 specimens of young carp were released into the Magnitogorsk Reservoir in the first stage of stocking. In May 2019, 201,000 young carp were released in the second stage of stocking. Now, the next stage is taking place.

As part of the programme for the conservation and development of biological diversity in the Chelyabinsk region, measures will be taken to stock the Magnitogorsk Reservoir with young white grass and silver carp and in 2021, unwanted vegetation in the water will be cut back and destroyed. Currently, the Ural branch of the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) is working on a project titled 'Developing recommendations for the maximum volume of water bioresources (white grass and silver carp) permissible for release into the Magnitogorsk Reservoir on the Ural River'.