The ceremony during which Janusz Latoch received from County Head Cezary Przybylski his appointment as commander of the county Social Fisheries Guard took place on February 15 in the conference room of the County Office. Among those attending the ceremony were Deputy County Head Stanisław Chwojnicki, County Police Commander Grzegorz Chirowski, County Council members, City Council member Piotr Hetel and President of the District Board of the Polish Angling Association in Jelenia Góra Antoni Lewkowicz.
Janusz Latoch has been a guard with the Social Fisheries Guard in Bolesławiec for six years. For the past two years, he has served as commander of the Social Fisheries Guard Group at the Bolesławiec PZW “Ciernik” club.
The County Social Fisheries Guard has existed since 1999. It currently has 46 guards. Thanks to the efforts of the PZW Jelenia Góra district board, the Bolesławiec guard received an EU grant of more than PLN 100,000. The money was used to purchase high-quality equipment:
- a patrol boat with equipment: oars, a boat hook, life jackets and a fire extinguisher
- a boat trailer with an electric winch
- a boat engine
- a Suzuki off-road vehicle
- rubber boots
- leather boots
- a night-vision device
- binoculars
- flashlights
- an echo sounder
- an aeration water pump
- communications equipment – two-way radios
- a CB radio and Smart GPS navigation.
“The problem of poaching is very serious, throughout Poland,” Antoni Lewkowicz emphasized during Friday’s meeting. “I think this equipment will help protect our waters and our natural environment.”
“In 2012, as part of preventive activities, the Social Fisheries Guard organized 51 patrols, during which 508 anglers were checked,” said Cezary Przybylski. “Considering that the fishery guards work voluntarily, that is a good result.”
(information: Janusz Latoch/ii)