Human dimensions: the fishery guards versus illegal fishermen in three regions of Central-Eastern Europe

Sixty officers of the fisheries guard from three regions in northeast Poland, an area that is rich in inland waters, were surveyed. The results obtained are presented as percentages of each possible answer to each question and as rankings on a five-point scale. Those surveyed reported that the most common motivation for serving in the guard was an interest in nature, followed by an interest in recreational fisheries and then their own material and living conditions. Those surveyed reported that the principal motivation for poaching was to earn profits and as a consequence of unemployment. Sixty percent of officers reported encountering aggression from those who were monitored. Ninety percent of officers reported receiving threats from those monitored. The officers surveyed ranked their professional experience the highest among factors that impacted the effectiveness of the activities performed by the fisheries guard and the possibility of safeguarding ichthyofauna against poaching.