The Government of Armenia discussed the issues of restoration, protection and increase of the fish resources of Lake Sevan

ArmInfo. Prime Minister Karen  Karapetyan held a meeting on the restoration, protection and  enhancement of the fish resources of Lake Sevan.

The press service of the Armenian government reports that during the  meeting a comprehensive program for the restoration of Ishkhan's  reserves in Lake Sevan and the development of fish farming was  presented.  It was noted that the main objectives of the program are  the restoration of two subspecies of the Sevan ishkhan in the lake  and the development of fish farming in Armenia through the effective  use of natural resources.

The Prime Minister was informed in detail about the works carried out  by the Fund for the Restoration of Sevan Ishkhan Reserves and the  Development of Fish Culture in the direction of the inventory of the  ecological problems of the lake and its basin, the assessment of the  ecological state of the lake and the replenishment of the Ishkhan  reserves (including the release of fry in the lake) existing problems  and further steps. They also talked about the operation of the first  factory in Armenia, commissioned in December 2016, with a closed  cycle of water to grow fry with a capacity of 50 tons. It was noted  that the construction of the second factory building and outdoor  swimming pools is currently underway. It is planned to build a  breeding farm and pools for fattening. Information was also provided  on the results expected from the implementation of the first and  second phases of the program, projected production volumes,  workplaces and investments.

The head of government noted the importance of continuous  implementation of the program in terms of both addressing  environmental problems and organizing a profitable business. Karen  Karapetyan also suggested conducting an analysis and presenting an  assessment of the volume, investment schedule, opportunities for  cooperation between the state and the private sector, projected risks  and expected future profits. During the meeting, a comprehensive  program for conservation and effective use of stocks of whitefish and  crayfish in Lake Sevan was discussed, the main goal of which,  according to the authors of the program, is to ensure the  reproduction of fish and crayfish stocks, their protection and  effective use, traditionally engaged in fishing. In this context,  issues related to the current scheme for selling fish resources and  combating illegal fishing were touched upon.

 Prime Minister Karapetyan stressed that there is a problem of  increasing the effectiveness of the fight against poaching and it is  necessary to streamline this field. He instructed to finalize the  program and provide solutions to the problem.