The Special Ranger Unit of the Sevan National Park is Fully Operational, Minister Says

The Minister of Environment, Romanos Petrosyan, announced on his Facebook page that the special ranger unit established in the Sevan National Park has been fully operational for nearly 10 days as a result of profound staffing reforms and the introduction of a new policy.

Composed of 24 personnel, the special unit is tasked with ensuring round-the-clock water and land protection across the entire Sevan National Park, preventing violations, combating illegal fishing, and monitoring approximately 147,000 hectares of land, including the entire surface of Lake Sevan.

The special ranger unit primarily consists of individuals with extensive experience in law enforcement and security services, familiar with the nature and structure of special subdivisions, and capable of timely and effective intervention against violations within their authority.

The unit operates on a 24-hour shift schedule with three shifts. In addition to responding rapidly to alerts, the team regularly patrols various sections of the Sevan National Park.

The Ministry of Environment has provided transport vehicles to the special unit to ensure rapid response to incidents and effective counteraction to environmental violations. In the near future, the ranger unit will also be provided with high-speed boats to maintain constant patrol over the entire surface of Lake Sevan.

Short-term plans include equipping the unit with the latest necessary technology to enhance capabilities, including equipment for aerial monitoring of the entire area and night vision devices.

In its short period of operation, the special ranger unit has already prevented several incidents. Recently, a special net designed for catching small fish was discovered and removed by the unit in the lower sections of the Karchaghbyur River, which was used in an attempt to catch a batch of small endemic fish released into Lake Sevan about ten days ago.

It is important to note that as part of the efforts to restore the biological resources of Lake Sevan, the state budget allocated funds for releasing around 280,000 viable small endemic fish into the Karchaghbyur and Masrik rivers.

The unit also carries out patrols in the area of the Norashen Sanctuary within the national park, where a special access regime for citizens is currently in effect. Comprehensive programs aimed at staffing and improving the quality of services from professional and supervisory divisions are currently underway.

The reforms at the Sevan National Park are expected to be continuous. The efforts being made should ultimately enhance the professional capabilities of park personnel, improve work quality and efficiency, and strengthen the legal and institutional components of the park.