Bihor becomes hotspot for illegal sand and gravel pits disguised as fish ponds
In Bihor, 161 fish-pond permits issued since 2015 have been used to hide unlawful sand and gravel extraction, prompting environmental fines and criminal complaints.
Bihor County has issued 161 fish-pond authorizations since 2015, a number that dwarfs those in adjacent counties. Rather than creating fishing lakes, many developers use the permits to extract sand and gravel, leaving large, often water-filled pits that lack the promised amenities. Environmental inspectors examined 16 sites in a single week, discovering that every location breached its approved limits or operated without any permit, and they imposed substantial fines while filing three criminal complaints.
The practice exploits a legal loophole that requires land to be returned to agriculture after mining, a rule often ignored. In response, the Senate has approved a draft amendment to the water and mining laws, proposing stricter time limits, higher penalties, equipment seizure and a five-year ban on future permits for violators. The proposal also mandates video monitoring of excavation areas for at least six months. The bill now awaits debate in the lower house.
Why it matters
Illegal mining harms the environment and undermines land-use regulations, affecting local communities and ecosystems.
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