FISH POPULATION IN LAKE SEVAN SLASHED FROM 21,000 TONS IN 1980S TO 300 TONS NOW – EXPERT
YEREVAN, March 17. / ARKA /. According to the latest estimates, fish
population in Armenia’s largest Lake Sevan has slashed from 21,000
metric tons in the 1980s to about 300 metric tons now, an aquatic
ecosystem expert, Seyran Minasyan, said today.
Speaking at a news conference, Minasyan said the main reasons for
the dramatic drop in fish population are regular release of water
for irrigation and pollution of the lake, which gradually change
the chemical composition of the water reducing the proportion of
phosphorus and increasing the proportion of nitrogen.
On January 30 the Armenian government approved an increase in the
release of irrigation water from the lake from the current 170 million
to 240 million cubic meters per year until 2019. The parliament will
hold hearings on this issue on March 19.
Former head of a parliament committee on social, health and environment
issue Gagik Tadevosyan, who co-authored the current law on Lake Sevan,
blamed the dramatic drop in fish population on ruthless poaching by
residents of nearby villages.
Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the South Caucasus
region and one of the largest fresh-water high-altitude lakes in the
world. The lake is situated in the central part of the Republic of
Armenia, at the altitude of over 1,900m above sea level. It is fed
by 28 rivers and streams. -0-
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
