Thursday, November 2 2017 19:59

ArmInfo. The Armenian government  plans to irrigate the lands of the Ararat Valley with the waters used  by the fish farms of the region.

Artsvik Minasyan, minister of nature protection, told in his  interview with journalists, water used by fish farms will be directed  to irrigation purposes. The government has been implementing this  program for a pilot year already. However, for its full  implementation, the executive branch waited until the first fruits  were obtained from the territories being irrigated by the fish farms  to verify their quality.

"Our laboratory studies have shown that water from fish farms is not  inferior to those used exclusively for irrigation purposes, that is,  water from fish farms can be used many times. The fruits obtained as  a result of water irrigation from fish farms were sent for  examination, and they did not have any taste differences and met all  standards," he said, adding that the government's goal is to expand  irrigated areas with the help of this water.

The Minister also stressed that soon all aquaculture companies will  install automatic water devices at the expense of the state. "Four  large fish companies will install at least 20 such watermeters before  the end of this year. USAID supports this program and will provide  assistance in the amount of $ 120,000. We are also negotiating with  the German firm to provide financial support so that all aquaculture  companies acquire automatic water device", Minasyan stated.

He stressed that if fish farms use more water than they should, they  can be fined or lose their license. "But we want the farms to work  and expand, but they use less water from the underground sources of  the Ararat Valley," Artsvik Minsyan noted.

The Minister also noted that from 2016 to the present day, 2  reservoirs and 4 have been closed. This method also helps to save  water.