Call for Danube Delta fishing ban
SOMOVA, Romania (AP) – A ban on commercial fishing in the Danube Delta is necessary to restore depleted fish stocks, Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said yesterday. «I want a radical measure… until the biological balance is reached,» said Tariceanu, who was on a two-day visit to the delta, a large wildlife reserve. He also called for stiffer penalties for poachers and accused local authorities of not doing enough to curb the practice. He said that of 500 suspected poachers apprehended by police none was found guilty in court. The fishing ban, which would be enacted next year, would not affect recreational fishing or local residents who fish for personal consumption.