Campaign "Let's make holes - save fish from freezing!!!"

January 14, 2026

The Glubokoye District Inspectorate of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection informs that, in order to prevent fish mortality during the winter period, the ecological campaign "Let's Make Holes – Save Fish from Suffocation!" has been announced.

The aim of the campaign is to draw the attention of amateur anglers, heads of organizations, and simply indifferent citizens to the problem of fish suffocation and mortality.

A significant amount of snowfall and frosty weather contribute to the formation of an ice crust on the surface of water bodies, blocking access to atmospheric air and oxygen, which can lead to mass mortality of fish and their fry in many freezing water bodies.

The most effective measures to prevent winter fish suffocation include the following activities:

- Liming of water bodies;

Liming promotes the decomposition and acceleration of organic matter mineralization, as well as improves the gas regime and neutralizes the acidic reaction of water. Unslaked lime is applied to the water body at a rate of 1-2 centners per hectare. When using slaked lime or ground limestone, the application rates increase by 1.3 and 1.8 times, respectively.

- Making ice holes in water bodies;

The number of ice holes depends on the water body area and averages 3–5 per hectare. Ice holes should be located in the center and along the perimeter of the water body, where the depth of the unfrozen layer is 50–60 cm. To prevent ice holes from freezing, it is necessary to install sheaves made of reeds, cattails, and other hollow "breathing" plants in them, or to hang bags of salt in such ice holes at a rate of 5 kg per bag. Technical salt, which is used for cleaning boilers in boiler rooms, can be recommended as salt.

- aeration of water bodies.

Aeration is defined as the process where air comes into close contact with water by spraying water into the air or by passing air bubbles through water. In addition, an aeration method is used that involves hydromechanical mixing of the water column.

If you detect a fish kill phenomenon, you must inform:

in leased or gratuitously used fishing grounds – lessees and users, as well as the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora under the President of the Republic of Belarus;

in fishing grounds of the reserve fund – local executive and administrative bodies, the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora under the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and its territorial bodies.

 

Chief Specialist A.V. Gapanenok