Under the guise of "scientific catches," there was actually uncontrolled industrial fishing in the Sea of Azov in 2018. This became possible due to the actions of the then-director of the state enterprise "Institute of Fisheries and Marine Ecology." He allowed private companies that collaborated with the institute to catch fish supposedly for scientific research. In reality, fish were caught in large volumes without proper control, and part of it was kept for themselves.

In addition, the head of the institution did not ensure the accounting of the catch; the fish were not included in the reports and were not reflected in the accounting. According to experts' estimates, 242 tons of aquatic biological resources were extracted from the sea free of charge, causing the state losses of more than 2.3 million hryvnias. 

The actions of the former official were qualified as abuse of office (part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), which caused severe consequences for the state.

Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office, the pre-trial investigation has been completed, evidence has been collected, and the case has been sent to court.

To recover the damages incurred, the State Agency of Ukraine for Melioration, Fisheries, and Food Programs has filed a civil lawsuit.

The investigation was conducted by the Main Investigative Department of the National Police with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a guilty verdict of the court.