Video: Community Budget Deprived of Large Sums – What Issues Are There with Fish Farms

The largest number of fish farms in the Ararat region are located in the communities of Masis, including the villages of Hovtashat, Sis, Sipanik, Hayanist, Darbnik, Dashtavan, Zorak, Nizami, Sayat-Nova, Ranchpar, Noramarg, and others.

The Masis municipal council has made 38 decisions regarding the change of land use from the beginning of 2022 until July, with only three concerning fish farms. The requests for changing land use mainly involve legalizing or constructing greenhouses, refrigeration units, drying facilities, livestock shelters, public, and residential buildings.

According to Masis community leader Davit Hambardzumyan, they lack information on changes to land plots made in 2020-21 and the legalization of structures built without permits. By a decision of the Masis council, in 2022, agricultural land was changed to industrial, mining, and other production purposes for constructing a fish farming pond: land parcels belonging to “Food Ex” LLC in the village of Sis (1.75359 ha), to Hrant Gulyan in Ranchpar (4.51 ha), and to Artyom Torosyan in Darbnik (5.275 ha).

Data from the Cadastre Committee shows that in 2020, there was just one case in the Ararat region of changing land use from agricultural to industrial or other purposes for constructing fish farms, involving a 10.7587 ha plot for water reservoirs in the Sis community. In 2021, two registrations were made for changing land use to industrial and other production purposes, affecting a total of 4.3 ha of land in Sis and 0.0455 ha in Noramarg.

In comparison, in the Armavir region, no land changes were recorded for water purposes in 2020. In 2021, 1.5197 ha was changed in Tziatsan village and 0.47176 ha in Arevadasht village.

In the Armavir region, fish farms are concentrated in the villages of Gay, Gribayedov, Jrarat, Lusagyugh, Araks, Apaga, Aknashen, Haykashen, and Jrabri. Following local elections on December 5, 2021, these villages were united into the Araks community. Community leader Ghazar Ghazaryan provided information regarding land changes in the community from 2020-22, stating that no fish farm has altered the use of its land or legalized its activities.

The aim of these publications is to demonstrate the damages caused to communities by the illegal activities of numerous fish farms that occupy thousands of hectares without changing land use or legalizing self-constructed ponds and structures. Many fish farms that started construction over 15 years ago continue to engage in illegal activities, consuming the complete land and water resources of the community without any charges.

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