The Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia has warned the public against intentionally or accidentally disturbing, moving or removing signal-transmitting devices installed on the beds of major rivers and lakes to monitor fish populations, migration and movement. According to the center, cases involving people tampering with or pulling out the devices have become increasingly frequent. Such actions have caused difficulties in collecting research data and conducting continuous monitoring, potentially affecting the accuracy and continuity of long-term studies.

The organization officially began conducting research, monitoring and data collection on fish populations and their movements in Mongolia in 2019 in cooperation with American and Swedish scientists. The research is aimed at gathering information on fish populations and tracking their movements in aquatic ecosystems.

As part of the research, specialized devices are placed underwater to transmit information that researchers can use to study fish movement and migration patterns. When the equipment is disturbed or removed, researchers may lose access to important data and may also face additional difficulties replacing or retrieving the devices.

The center has therefore urged local residents and fishermen to avoid touching, moving or attempting to remove research equipment installed on the beds of major rivers and lakes. It stressed that the equipment is placed for scientific research purposes and should remain undisturbed.

Ecologists also emphasized that the devices are designed exclusively for scientific research and data collection and cannot be used for other purposes. The center further appealed to members of the public to report the location through its official social media pages if they find any of the equipment or related devices near rivers or lakes. Providing information about the location of recovered or displaced equipment would help researchers retrieve it and continue their monitoring work.