Mistake

All day on February 5, part of the Azerbaijani public discussed an unexpected and threefold increase in fines (up to one, up to three manats) for damage to nature when collecting fruits, berries, plants, and even fallen leaves and twigs. The resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of January 19, "Payments for damage to forestry during the collection and preparation of forest reserves in prohibited areas" became known to the people on February 5.

Citizens that are more attentive discovered the text of the Cabinet's resolution, finding that the ban only applies to the territories of nature reserves and national parks, but continued to express discontent in social networks. It came to open curses. In a day, that is, on February 6, President Ilham Aliyev ordered the Cabinet to annul the decision, taking into account numerous appeals to the President, the official statement says.

In fact, the government"s order was not unusual. Environmental measures are taken worldwide, and fines are measured in hundreds and thousands of foreign currencies, rather than two devalued manats. In the case of Azerbaijan, the fines, even after their increase, were scanty.

It should also be noted that the order does not limit the collection of plants or fruits, but provides for fines for damage during their collection. In this case, it should be understood as scrapping branches of trees, bushes, collecting plants with a root, etc. Even worse is the destruction of trees and plants.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations reports for 2018 contain a lot of information about illegal logging of trees in forests, fires, the number of which is growing.

Azerbaijanis like to compare local practices with the best countries in the world. Political analyst Vugar Seyidov spoke in a social network about how the German authorities fined him for collecting a dead wood in the forest. This penalty comes to 730 euros.

The state must take measures for the protection of nature, especially forest reserves are considered inviolable, and therefore fines for any activity that changes the integrity of protected areas should be punishable. Therefore, the motivation in the decision of the Cabinet is clear.

However, the public was suddenly indignant, social networks were filled with angry anti-power remarks, even those who live far from forests. The order to cancel the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers states that the presidential order is caused by the public"s reaction to the increase in fines.

As can be seen, the presidential order is explained by a political motive - unwillingness to incite public sentiment. The authorities met the demands of society, but sacrificed the safety of nature reserves.

The story of the adoption and cancellation of the resolution also speaks of the inconsistency of actions between the Presidential Administration and the subordinate Cabinet of Ministers. Decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers are taken thoughtlessly, hastily, without taking into account the views of state and independent experts, as well as without discussion with civil society.

The main thing is that preliminary educational work was not carried out, the public was not explained the reasons and expectations of the decision, the mechanisms for its implementation.

For example, in Latvia before the berry picking season, the Department of Environmental Protection reminds:

- when picking berries, it is forbidden to pluck, break and otherwise destroy plants, use special tools, mechanical means

; - when collecting berries and fruits from trees and bushes (including seeds), it is forbidden to cut, chop, break branches and trunks of these plants.

For violations of this order, persons are held accountable in the manner prescribed by legal acts.

If such state-society relations were built in Azerbaijan, then the president would not have to take such a hasty and to some extent populist decision. As a result, nature, society and the state will suffer.