According to the ministry's information, the diving service has been equipped with new boats, winter and summer suits, as well as underwater drones. Thanks to modern equipment, over the past three years, it has been possible to raise old poaching nets from the bottom that had been in Issyk-Kul for many years.
Sabyrzhan Alamanov, head of the diving service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, noted that the synthetic nets collected in 2025 were accumulated in one place. This collection is not the result of work for the entire year, but was achieved over the last three to four months to demonstrate to citizens and violators the consequences of illegal fishing.
He emphasized that such synthetic nets cause significant harm to the ecosystem of Issyk-Kul and worsen the condition of the lake. Over the past 25-30 years, especially in the last ten, these nets have actively entered the lake, negatively impacting the natural environment.
Alamanov added that the cleaning work started in 2023, but it soon became clear that the problem is not limited to just surface debris — synthetic nets have filled the lower layers of the lake as well. Currently, the extracted nets are being cleaned, cut, and prepared for disposal.
According to the head of the diving service, over the past four months, more than 141,000 nets have been extracted from one area, and in total, over 151,000 synthetic nets were raised in 2025. At the same time, work was carried out to clean up other debris, and previously more than 7 tons of various waste had been extracted.
He also added that some of the collected nets are stored not only at this base but also in other locations, such as Grigorievka and the Tyup district, where the diving service bases are located. In the future, all collected nets are planned to be handed over to the Ministry of Natural Resources after their disposal.
According to Alamanov, this needs to be done before the warm weather arrives, as the nets begin to emit an unpleasant odor.
