Sanctuaries

The South Kamchatka Federal Sanctuary (Zakaznik), a federal sanctuary under Kronotsky Zapovednik, protects Kuril Lake, the largest salmon-spawning lake in Eurasia. The area also may have the highest density of bears in the world. more...

The Kol River Salmon  Sanctuary (regional protected area), established in April, 2006, is located in a
relatively remote and sparsely populated region on the west coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Kol
watershed has no permanent residents, although a small number of people use the territory of the zakaznik
on a seasonal basis: members of the Ivanov obschina (who maintain hunting leases in the PA), as well as
a very limited number of fishermen, tourists and scientists studying the salmonid populations of the Kol
and Kekhta Rivers. The closest permanent settlement is the village of Sobolevo, located approximately 60
kilometers from the zakaznik boundary, with a population of about 2000 people.

In spite of the region’s sparse population, interest in the Kol River Zakaznik is fairly significant,
particularly due to the fact that it is the world’s first protected area created for the purpose of conserving
wild salmonids, arguably Kamchatka’s most important economic and ecological resource. Moreover the
protection and study of Kamchatka’s salmon species involves a number of different stakeholders,
including various government and nature protection agencies, as well as scientific institutions and NGOs. more...

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