The reclamation history of the biological resources of the Volga river from the references to 1917

Abstract

The history of the development of the biological resources of the Volga River is reflected from the first records until 1917. The Neolithic period is described in detail, based on archaeological researches in the Upper Volga region. The ancient Slavs especially valued sturgeons. The main fishing centers were located in the area of the current city Rybinsk. During the Mongol-Tatar yoke, bread and fish were the main items of domestic trade. After the capture of Astrakhan in 1554, control over the fisheries on the Volga River was completely transferred to the Russian state. In 1660, they began to legislatively regulate the relations between fishery and treasury. Since 1721, many ukases and decrees have been issued with the aim of restoring order in the fisheries of the Volga-Caspian basin. In 1768-1774, a large expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences was organized to study “all three kingdoms of nature”, including regions along the Volga River and the Caspian Sea. From the twenties of the 19th century, the period of industrial development of the biological resources of the Volga and the Caspian began and as a result, by the end of the century, the industrial fishing zone was rolling down from the upper river to the orifice, and also a quantitative reduction in fish production was observed, including a decrease in the number of large fish in catches. In 1862, according to the results of the expedition 1853-1858 N. Ya. Danilevsky compiled a project for the construction of the Caspian and Volga fisheries. The review includes data on the formation of the legislative framework for fisheries and the first attempts to preserve and restore stocks of aquatic biological resources in the Volga basin.