On June 5 - the Russian Day of the Ecologist and the World Environment Day, the jury announced the winners of the Sixth Far Eastern Environmental Journalism Awards Taiga Alive - 2012, competition of nature protection journalism. We congratulate the winners and laureates!
The jury studied 170 newspaper articles, 44 releases of news agencies, 45TV features, 4 TV programs, 3 radio transmissions submitted by 72 staff and out-of-staff journalists from 34 mass media of Primorsky, Khabarovsky, Zabaikalsky and Kamchatsky krais, Amurskaya and Jewish Autonomous provinces, and from regional representatives of federal mass media. The authors competed in the following categories: “Amur Tiger Home”, “Korean Pine Is a Tree of Life”, “Green Belt of the Amur River”, “Hunting Leases Keep Ward on Nature”, “Protected Areas” and “Environment and Energy Industry”.
The Grand Prize of the Sixth Far Eastern Journalism Awards Taiga Alive - 2012 was awarded to the Transbaikal ecological press club “Berloga” (Den) for a cycle of publications, press-releases, photo and TV reports on protection of the Shilka River against the threat of construction of the Trans-Siberian hydroelectric power station. The materials prepared by the journalists of 10 mass media of Zabaykalsky province broke the veil of silence on privately “closed” subject. Public involvemet in the discussion of this sharp issue made a group of companies called the En+ freeze the process of preparation for construction of the Trans-Siberian hydroelectric power station on the Shilka River before carrying out an all-round strategic eco-economic comparative assessment of the whole Amur River Basin. A considerable role in this victory was played by a coordinator of the “Berloga” club – a journalist of the Chita TV company “Altes” Irina Trofimova who was recognized as the winner in the nomination “Environment and Energy Industry”.
Among the most live subjects were the absurd ban on sports fishing of taimen, lenok and grayling imposed in 2008 in Jewish Autonomous Province, high lease payments for hunting grounds, introduction of licensing for fire-fighting activities, defense of Anuisky National Park director against unfair accusations of Environmental Prosecutor of Khabarovsky province.
The jury noticed an increased activity of the regional press that gave good coverage to environmental problems of the regions this year.
The winners and laureates of the contest will be awarded cut-glass ginsengs and diplomas at the solemn ceremony on August 15, 2012.
