MOSCOW, April 1 - RAPSI. Fines killing tigers, leopards, snow leopards and northern falcons have been raised to 1.1 million rubles ($35,390), the Natural Resources Ministry reported on Monday, citing the new norms for calculating environmental damages that became effective on March 31.

According to the ministry's order, the basic norm for calculating the damages done to the Amur tiger and leopard population has increased from 500,000 to 1.1 million rubles and from 300,000 to 1.1 million rubles for the snow leopard, the ministry reported in a statement. Meanwhile, fines for killing rare birds of prey have increased from 250,000 to 1.1 million rubles for the northern falcon and to 600,000 rubles for the saker and peregrine falcons.

Fines have also been raised for killing endangered species, such as the golden eagle, Russia's three populations of the Polar bear, the European bison - the Belovezhskaya Pushcha population and hybrid intraspecific populations, the black-tailed gazelle (dzeren), the goat antelope, the bezoar goat, the Altai argali, and snow leopard subpopulations.

The ministry also reported that the increased fines will complement the criminal and administrative punishment stipulated by law.

The State Duma is presently examining a bill on exclusive criminal responsibility for the illegal killing, storage, transportation and sale of the Amur tiger, leopard and other rare and endangered species protected by Russia's Red Data Book and international treaties.