As part of this project, NIBULON has already constructed seven transshipment terminals for grain and oilseeds along the Dnipro and the Southern Bug. The company is now constructing another two ones. It has invested a total of USD 1.6 billion in Ukraine’s economy.
The construction of transshipment terminals for grain and oilseeds shipments on water transport includes dredging in order to ensure free access to cargo berths for loading and unloading operations. In addition, the operational water areas of cargo berths must be dredged annually because of sediment accumulation and the need to maintain appropriate conditions for safe navigation.
To dredge navigable passes along the Dnipro and the Southern Bug is a logical continuation of the investment project, as reasonability to construct transshipment terminals for shipments on water transport by the riverside is connected with the river’s navigable characteristics that are unfavourable for navigation at present. The depth of navigable pass reduced up to 1.6 m from 2.9 m declared, and in the area of Prybuzhany village council – up to 1.1 m; the silt thickness is 1.5 m in the area of Kyryakivka village council, thereby reducing cargo transported by water and preventing shipbuilding development.
The Southern Bug on the length of 134 km from Mykolayiv city to Oleksandrivka village (Voznesensk district, Mykolayiv region) is a part of inland waterways of Ukraine which must be maintained and operated by the state; in particular, the state must maintain the navigable pass depths of the Southern Bug at the level of depths specified in nautical charts of the ’90s.
Thus, the state is obliged to finance and implement the project “Improvement of navigability along the Southern Bug waterways from Voznesensk town to Mykolayiv city” developed on NIBULON’s demand.
Unfortunately, total inactivity and indifferent attitude of the state executive authorities have impeded the project for more than 6 years. Due to its persistence, NIBULON obtained a permit in 2015 to implement the project. In general, the state executive authorities at local and central levels as well as local authorities issued 47 project permits. We hoped the state would support this important project.
In particular, navigation along the Southern Bug will enable to transport by water up to 1 million tons of cargoes annually, thereby removing up to 50 trucks from the roads in Mykolayiv region. This will certainly have a positive environmental impact due to the reduction of fuel combustion product emissions per one ton of grain transported. According to preliminary calculations, taking into account the volumes of cargo transported by water, the volume of fuel combustion products emissions (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, carbon black, and also non-methane organic compounds, methane and benzopyrene) will reduce by 4 thousand tons per year, thereby improving air in settlements. This will make their inhabitants healthier, as every inhabitant in the region will inhale by 4 kg pollutants less per year.  
But the project “Improvement of navigability along the Southern Bug waterways from Voznesensk town to Mykolayiv city” was not financed by the state. Thus, the company had to dredge navigable passes along the Dnipro and the Southern Bug at its own expense, in addition to constructing elevators and developing shipbuilding. Some public pseudo-activists who want self-promotion due to well-known projects, published unchecked information in mass media and provoked numerous inspections that disturb people from really important things.
NIBULON will implement the project in phases because of its expensiveness (more than USD 10 million). First of all, the company aims to achieve the required navigable depths:
– from Nova Odesa town to Mykolayiv city – 2.4 m against 2.9 m design depth;
– from Voznesensk town to Nova Odesa town – 2.3 m against 2.65 m design depth.
According to sounding of 2015, NIBULON plans to remove 120 thousand m3 of soil which is 10 times less than 1,187,750 thousand m3 specified in the project. This will minimize the impact on water bioresources and reduce losses.
According to the Law of Ukraine “On Fishery, Industrial Fishing and Water Bioresources Protection”, performers are obliged to make up for the damage to fishery as a result of worsening of conditions of water bioresources or environment.
NIBULON does open and transparent business. It was indignant at groundless and unreasonable charges from Yevgen Mischenko, deputy head of the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region, and Yuriy Kormyshkin, head of the Land Committee of Mykolayiv Regional Council.
The State Fishery Agency of Ukraine approved projects and permitted to implement them at all NIBULON’s facilities. During 2009-2015, the company implemented compensatory measures to the fishery of UAH 1,513,645.42 across Ukraine; in particular, the company stocked reservoirs with 38.28 tons of fish seed of UAH 713,117.08 and paid UAH 800,528.34 to the local state budgets for losses caused to water living resources, including UAH 132,464.54 – to the state budget in Mykolayiv in 2010 and UAH 37,980.00 – in Nova Odesa town in 2011. During 2010-2013, the company provided the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region with more than 24 tons of oil products of UAH 222,071 to stock the Southern Bug with fish.
Thus, the company allocated almost UAH 400 thousand to stock reservoirs in Mykolayiv region during 2010-2013. Where was this money allocated for? One should ask Yevgen Mischenko who is aware of these issues being a constant representative of the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region. It has become clear that NIBULON’s assignments were not used to increase fish in the Southern Bug. NIBULON has nothing to do with the absence of crucian carp.
NIBULON plans to implement compensatory measures to the fishery in future, constructing its   transshipment terminal in Buzke village (Voznesensk district) in 2016 and implementing the project “Improvement of navigability along the Southern Bug waterways from Voznesensk town to Mykolayiv city”. NIBULON wants to achieve a maximum effect, stocking reservoirs with qualitative fish seed, like NIBULON stocks reservoirs in other regions. Unfortunately, the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region does not support NIBULON’s intentions. On a contract basis, the Institute of Fisheries of National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine will calculate the amount of losses according to actual values of works performed (the area of the bottom damage and the volume of soil removed).
At the end of 2015, the company’s representative together with representatives from the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region inspected reservoirs belonged to Lyub-Vit-Service Ltd and Stroykrok Ltd. Yevgen Mischenko, deputy head from the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region, persistently recommended young fish from Lyub-Vit-Service Ltd (Nova Odesa town). Being experienced in fish stocking in other regions (Kherson, Zaporizhzhya and Poltava regions), NIBULON considered these reservoirs to be extremely silted up with unhealthy young fish. The company even provided the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region with pictures of young fish in other regions. Unfortunately, they were not interested in it.

Fish from Lyub-Vit-Service reservoirs

For comparison – fish from reservoirs in Zaporizhzhya region
In addition, it is unreasonable to stock the river with fish before the works that can deteriorate a condition of water bioresources. This activity is not effective and is performed as a pure formality. On these grounds, the company provided a guaranteed letter outcome No. 13813/3-15/50 dated 03.11.2015 to the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region, where NIBULON is committed to stock the river with fish after dredging. 
NIBULON does not believe in Yevgen Mischenko’s inability to overcome poaching. As the very Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region creates favourable conditions for its development. At present illegal fishing nets often cross the navigable pass of the Southern Bug, damaging ship’s gears. The company has to pay additional costs to equip ruder propellers with preventive parts. Some poachers persecuted NIBULON’s vessels with guns and threatened its crew, and the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region preferred not to interfere with it despite NIBULON’s appeals.
The State Inspector of the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region V.Z. Yukhnenko behaves impertinently and openly supports illegal fishing in Gurivka area.

Toyota Camry car belongs to the State Fish Inspector of the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region V.Z. Yukhnenko
It is not a secret that the Deputy Head of the Department of Protection, Use and Reproduction of Water Bioresources and Fishery Regulation in Mykolayiv Region Yevgen Mischenko has friendly relations with the Head of the Land Committee of Mykolayiv Regional Council Yuriy Kormyshkin. They support each other and perform activities that are profitable for both parties: Kormyshkin will develop its own reservoirs and Mischenko will promote himself to get the post of a head. The fishery sector really declines in Mykolayiv region, and crucian carp will disappear soon because of such officials who are unable to solve this problem and people’s deputies who start their activity with dirty machinations.
Yevgen Mischenko said it was necessary to dredge the river and even promised to publish an article on the official website of the State Fishery Agency of Ukraine. But instead of it, he published untrue information about crucian carp on the official website of the Main Department of Water Bioresources Protection.
NIBULON’s environmental protection department