Azerbaijan

Use of fish resources shall be carried out in the following forms: industrial, leisure and sport hunting of fishes and other marine animals; industry oriented reproduction of fishes, other marine flora and fauna; scientific-research and control oriented hunting of fishes for the purpose of exploration of status of fish resources and establishment of limits upon fish hunting; hunting of fishes and other marine animals for the purpose of environmental acclimatisation and relocation.

Sport and leisure fish hunting shall imply hunting of fishes and other marine animals for personal needs and leisure of individuals. Except for reserves, fish reproduction bands and enterprises, all water objects may be used for the purpose of sport and leisure fish hunting subject to compliance with procedures specified by the legislation. Allocation of state water objects and sections thereof for sport and leisure fish hunting shall be carried out by the relevant executive authorities. Sport and leisure fish hunting on water facilities being in individual use, municipal or private ownership shall be permitted upon consent of users and owners of water objects. Sport and leisure hunting shall be carried out in accordance with permission notices issued by the relevant executive authority. Permission notices for carrying out sport and leisure fish hunting in water objects owned by environmental protection, fishing, hunting, sporting and other societies, organisations and private water objects shall be issued upon consent of owners or users of water objects. Application of poisonous, chemical and blasting matters which may cause mass death of fishes in water objects, as well as application of prohibited hunting devices in course of sport and leisure fish hunting shall be prohibited. Sport and leisure fish hunting shall be carried out in accordance with regulations approved by the relevant executive authority.

Reproduction and reinstatement of fishes entered into the Red Data Book, as well as of sturgeons and other valuable fishes with band significance shall be carried out in accordance with specific state programs implemented under the supervision of scientists and highly skilled specialists of the appropriate scientific-research organisations.

Water protection zone shall mean a territory adjacent to the water area provided with the special regime of use and protection of natural resources and implementation of other operations. Shore protection zones shall be established on the boundaries of water protection zones. Water protection zones and related shore protection zones for rivers, river branches, lakes and other water objects being places of spawning for valuable fish species, as well as water protection zones and related shore protection zones for areas of operation of fish reproduction enterprises shall, in accordance with the procedures established by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, be considered specially protected territories.

State service for fish protection shall have the following rights: to check permission documentation issued to subjects of fishing operations; to stop and check vessels, boats and other sailing devices, including foreign vessels, boats and other sailing devices, engaged into illegal fish hunting in inland waters of the Azerbaijan Republic, Azerbaijan Republic section of the Caspian Sea (lake), border water objects; ... Fish products acquired by legal entities and physical persons engaged into illegal fish hunting and hunting devices may be confiscated in accordance with the procedures established by the Administrative Default Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Foreign legal entities and physical persons may use fish resources in the water objects of the Azerbaijan Republic. Foreign legal entities and physical persons shall acquire the right for the use of fish resources in the Azerbaijan Republic in accordance with the procedures specified by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic. Fees and rules applicable to the use by foreign legal entities and physical persons of fish resources in the Azerbaijan Republic shall be established by the relevant executive authority.