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.