This case was the first sanction to be imposed after new protected zones were designated in the Moravian Karst last year. Photo: A field in Blansko. Credit: Own Work By Jiří Komárek licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brno, Sep 18 (BD) – An agricultural firm from Blansko was fined CZK 50,000 by the Protected Landscape Area Administration for using chemicals in the protected area of the Moravian Karst. The company’s appeal was rejected by the Ministry for the Environment.
This case was the first sanction to be imposed after new protected zones were designated in the Moravian Karst last year. Green granules were found in the Karst by forest guards during a patrol last September, near holes allowing water to flow underground. After analysis by conservationists, it was confirmed that the substances were biocides – poisonous substances such as pesticides. The spray was intended to kill snails on a nearby field of canola.
Researchers also discovered the presence of biocides on stalactites in the Moravian Karst. The concentration of biocides in the water was found to be above the permitted standards set for drinking water. The use of such chemical substances in the first and second designated zones of the Moravian Karst can carry a fine of up to CZK 2 million.
These rules prohibit farmers from spraying chemicals in protected zones near the caves, but the farmers receive compensation from the state and funding to sow grass mixture in these fields.
