Emergency Incident in Kotayk Region: Over 4000 Sturgeon Fish Found Dead

Today, on January 16, an extraordinary incident occurred in the Kotayk region. In a few ponds designated for fish in the vicinity of the Yeghunark River near the village of Getamej, over 4000 sturgeon fish have died under suspicious circumstances.

According to photo journalist Gagik Shamshyan, not only the fish in the ponds have perished but also those in the river. The locals are faced with this stark reality.

In a conversation with the photo journalist, residents expressed, “Around 4 PM, we came to feed the fish again and before reaching the river and the ponds, we noticed an unpleasant smell. As we approached the designated area, we witnessed a mass die-off of the fish. We are confident that our negligence is not the issue here; the authorities need to urgently take action to collect samples from the water and test a few dead fish. After that, we are sure that if they wish, they could uncover within hours where this rotten, foamy black water is flowing into the river.”

The photo journalist also reports that those engaged in fish conservation have suffered damages amounting to about 5-6 million AMD, as this includes the costs associated with the fish maintenance process from the first day.