Anglers from Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Russia, and Turkey came together at Sosnovy Bor of Leningrad region, Russia to compete in the first Rosatom International Fishing Tournament from 1st to 2nd of August this year. The competitors were to catch fish in the Gulf of Finland.
The tournament was organized by ROSATOM, which is also known as Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation. It’s a Russian state-owned corporation headquartered in Moscow and specialized in nuclear energy. The competitors of the tournament were chosen from the countries where ROSATOM is operating actively for the development, construction, and implementation of nuclear power plants.
It’s been a great privilege for Angling in Bangladesh to represent Bangladesh in this event. Two of our anglers, Omar Haider and Nadim Hasan were nominated by Angling in Bangladesh admins for participating in the tournament. The tournament was held in the Pro Anglers League(PAL) format of the European boat spinning tournament. After weighing, the fish were released back into the sea. Russian professional anglers, winners of Russian national and regional fishing competitions, as well as independent foreign experts from the Czech Republic and Egypt, judged the tournament.
The tour started with a detailed visit to the ROSATOM headquarters in Moscow. There the participants, journalists, and other dignitaries came to know the in-depth processes of a nuclear power plant, how safety is assured, how wastes are managed, etc.
The actual program started on 29th of July followed by a number of events in Moscow. Then the participants were taken to Saint Petersburg, one of Russia’s iconic cities for breathtaking architectures and cultural heritage. Then the participants were taken to Sosnovy Bor, the location for the actual fishing tournament.
Sosnovy Bor is a highly restricted town located in Leningrad Oblast. It is situated on the Koporye Bay of the Gulf of Finland. The town was founded in 1958 with the objective of serving the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant. However, with four reactors, the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in the world.
Beside strengthening cooperation with the corresponding participating countries, it was one of the most important objectives of the whole event to show the world that nuclear power plants are completely safe, environment-friendly and have almost zero effect over the surrounding ecological systems if maintained accordingly. That’s why a group of scientists, biologists, journalists, and other relevant experts were also invited to the event.
The fishing ground was in the very close proximity of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant. Fishes caught during the competition were thoroughly tested by the scientists and found neither any hazardous substance nor any trace of radiation. The anglers were quite happy to catch beautiful and healthy fishes in the tournament. Returning home, our participants have reported to Angling in Bangladesh that it had been a wonderful and unique experience to fish very close to a nuclear power plant. They also have mentioned that they did not observe any adverse effect of the nuclear power plant on the fishes or on the surrounding environment of the nuclear power plant. And they are quite happy that a renowned organization like ROSATOM is establishing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh.
However, it was a tournament of mutual friendship and cooperation. We’ve made lots of new friends. Russian hospitality was unforgettable. Because of the lack of exposure and negative Western propaganda, most of the outside world has no idea how rich and diverse Russian culture is. It’s a vast country and some of the greatest achievements of mankind have been achieved by Russia.
Finally, we thank ROSATOM and the Russian Authority for their unforgettable and unique hospitality and for giving us the chance to participate in the tournament. We hope ROSATOM would continue to arrange this kind of events frequently in the future and we’re keen to participate again. We hope the cooperation between Bangladesh and Russia will not be limited to the sectors of power and defense only, but both the nations would focus on strengthening cooperation in tourism, science & technology and agriculture as well. And Angling in Bangladesh would be happy to work with ROSATOM in the fields of climate change, environmental protection, biodiversity, and sustainability. We will be there whenever necessary.
