Poaching and growing commercial fishery causes serious damage to Sevan
fish reserves
by Karina Manukyan
Tuesday, May 20, 18:32
Poaching and growing commercial fishery is causing a serious damage
to Sevan fish reserves, Bardukh Gabrielyan, Director of the National
Center for Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Science of
Armenia, told ArmInfo.
He said that the growth in the whitefish populations in Lake Sevan in
2013 may become a temporary phenomenon, as fishing continues even in
the spawning season. Gabrielyan said that insufficient control over
poachers as well as unrestricted sale of whitefish and caviar in the
markets may bring the last year’s results to naught.
To recall, in late 2013 whitefish reserves in the lake totaled 300
tons (6.5 tons in 2012). Meanwhile in 1988-1090 whitefish reserves in
Sevan totaled 30,000 tons.
“Due to the insufficient control over fishery in the spawning seasons,
the reserves of all the valuable commercial fish have experienced
sharp decline. In addition, there are no conditions for reproduction
of whitefish, trout, and Sevan Varicorhinus capoeta,” the expert said.
According to him, it is necessary to increase control over fishery and
improve the state of the rivers where the fish is spawning.
In 2013 total fish reserves in Lake Sevan exceeded 400 tons versus
100-105 tons in 2012.
From: Baghdasarian