In the Ministry of Environment under the leadership of Minister Hakob Simidyan, Deputy Minister Tigran Gabrielyan, "Sevan" National Park, RA Police, Ministry of Territorial Management and Infrastructure, Gegharkunik Governorate, Environmental Protection and Subsoil Inspection Authority, Food Safety Inspection Authority and Yerevan Municipality, RA NAS Sevan Lake Protection an extended consultation was held with the participation of the representatives of the expert committee to discuss the implementation of the joint activities and cooperation program during the whitefish spawning period in Lake Sevan.
We remind you that the joint measures implemented during the period of whitefish spawning in Lake Sevan are being implemented from December 1, 2022, they will last until January 20, 2023 inclusive. In Lake Sevan, the strict ban applies from December 15 to January 20.
During the meeting, the works carried out by the departments and the listed problems, as well as the steps to make control measures more effective, were presented. The representatives of the structures in favor of the implementation of the events made reports and voiced their views and opinions. Thus, in the period from December 15 to 29, 2082 whitefish and 7 kg of fry were confiscated.
A large number of fishing nets were taken out of the lake by the special purpose squad of "Sevan" National Park. Materials are being prepared on the features of Article 89 of the RA Code on Administrative Offenses (number 3) and on the features of Article 112.6 of the RA Code on Administrative Offenses (number 1) and on the features of Article 385 of the RA Criminal Code (number 1).
The minister thanked his colleagues for the work done and asked to continue the control measures at the same pace. The minister reminded his colleagues that whitefish is the most important part of the food security of the Republic of Armenia and the problem should be approached with that awareness.
The minister also reminded that throughout the organization of the productive hunting season, the Ministry of the Environment, the policy-making department, did everything possible to meet the citizens engaged in fishing and carry out fishing in a more regulated manner, and the ban due to the spawning period of whitefish is also within the framework of that regulation, aimed at increasing the number of whitefish in the lake.