ARMENIAN NATURE PROTECTION MINISTRY INTENDS TO COMBAT FISH POACHING BY REFORMING ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORATE
ArmInfo
2010-04-19 14:59:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian Nature Protection Ministry intends to combat
fish poaching by reforming the Environmental Inspectorate.
"The problems of fish poaching are in the focus of our attention. Now
we are solving problems related to the Environmental Inspectorate. I
hope this will allow us to intensify the control over illegal
fishery",- said Armenian Nature Protection Minister Aram Haroutyunyan
at today’s press-conference without going into details. He added that
the ministry also came out with an initiative to ban fishing in Lake
Sevan for 3 years, which will allow restoring the whitefish reserves.
"In addition, in 2010 the whitefish and trout reserves will be
researched in Lake Sevan",- said the minister.
To note, despite the numerous promises and assurances of anti-smuggling
fight, one can openly buy whitefish for 350 AMD per fish in the
markets of Yerevan, whereas the fishing is strictly forbidden. One
can also buy whitefish on the highways near Lake Sevan.
Moreover, the whitefish reserves have been at a critically low level
(180 tons) for the second year running. Notwithstanding this, in
2010 Head of the Commission for Key problems of Lake Sevan Vladimir
Movsisyan and Head of the Biological Resources Agency Artashes Ziroyan
have tried to sex up the situation with the Sevan whitefish. Both of
them said that at the beginning of 2010 the whitefish reserves were
considerably increased in Lake Sevan (by 20% according to Movsisyan,
and by 60% according to Ziroyan). The given statements have been
refuted by the Institute of Hydroecology and Ichtiology of the National
Academy of Science of Armenia.