The bill of toughening of punishment for illegal catch and turn of especially valuable species of the wild animals and water bioresources included in the Red List is introduced to the State Duma.

The project of changes in Article 258.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Illegal Catch and Turn of Especially Valuable Wild Animals and Water Biological Resources Belonging to the Species Included in the Red List of the Russian Federation and (or) Protected by International Treaties of the Russian Federation" is introduced to the State Duma by the government on February 26.

The document provides increase in the maximum terms of punishment in the form of forced labor or imprisonment for poaching up to four years instead of present three. For illegal trade in rare wild animals and water bioresources, their parts and derivatives terms will also increase - up to five years instead of present four.

As envisioned by developers, new edition of the bill will allow to punish more strictly the poachers using official position even if they do not treat officials, and are, for example, workers of reserves, wildlife areas, the scientific organizations or hunting farms. After adoption of law they can be imprisoned for six years, and for illicit trafficking in "Red Book" objects of fauna - for seven years.

The bill also imposes additional sanctions for commission of such crimes by a group of persons by previous concert or organized group. In this case poachers risk to spend behind bars from five to eight years.