First Automated Fish Sorting Device Launched on the Shores of Lake Sevan

The Deputy Ministers of Economy, Tigran Gabrielyan and Arman Khojoyan, have visited a fish farming facility established as part of the "Restoration of Sevan's Fish Stock and Development of Aquaculture" complex program in the Gegharkunik region. The purpose of the visit was to observe the breeding, conservation, and reproduction processes of the endemic Gegharkunik and summer trout subspecies.

According to the information from the Ministry of Economy's Information and Public Relations Department, during the tour, the ministers inspected the trout cultivation net cages installed in Lake Sevan, where juvenile trout are grown into industrial fish, monitored the fish feeding process, and familiarized themselves with the equipment installed in the facility.

During their visit, for the first time, an automated fish sorting device was launched in the coastal area, enabling the sorting of fish by weight and their transfer between net cages.

“The fish sorting process for export purposes is being conducted here for the first time. We are here to follow the process. This equipment is unique in the Republic and the region, allowing for onsite breeding and sorting of fish by weight for commercial purposes,” said Deputy Minister Tigran Gabrielyan. He also added that Sevan trout is primarily exported to the Russian Federation and the USA.

During the visit, approximately one ton of marketable fish was sorted using the new equipment, which will be supplied to the client according to their required fish weight for export purposes.

Regarding the restoration of fish stocks in Lake Sevan, some of the fish bred in the fish farming facility are released back into the lake, while others are used for processing. This makes the breeding of these endemic fish species significant not only from an ecological perspective but also from an industrial one.

The Executive Director of the “Foundation for the Restoration of Sevan Fish Stocks and Development of Aquaculture,” Vardan Mamikonyan, noted that about 220 tons of Gegharkunik and summer trout subspecies are being bred in the facility. He emphasized that thanks to the launch and efficient operation of the sorting device, higher results have been achieved in the facility.

It is expected that by the end of the year, the volume of trout sold in the domestic market will double, and prices will gradually decrease. In 2019, around 6,000 tons of fish and fish products were exported from the country, and despite the ongoing pandemic, the current export volumes are not lagging behind last year’s indicators.

According to Tigran Aleksanyan, the Deputy Head of the Primary Agricultural Products Department, the export volumes of other fish products, including caviar, are also gradually increasing in the Republic, with around 350 tons exported in 2019, and demand for Armenian caviar abroad has also risen.

During the visit, discussions were held regarding various programs being implemented in the agricultural sector and state support measures, as well as the challenges facing the fish farming sector and the future development plans for fish farms.