Will Dead Fish Appear in the Market? Atoyan Sounds the Alarm

A mass decline of fish has begun in Armenia. Arthur Atoyan, the president of the Union of Armenian Fish Producers and Exporters, made this statement in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

Recently, the Food Safety Inspection Body conducted inspections in the fish farms of the Ararat region. It was revealed that one fish farm operating in the community of Hovatashen buried 58 tons of fish. The declines started on October 29.

According to Atoyan, such large-scale declines of fish have never been recorded in Armenia, with the cause being the importation of a batch of infected fish from Iran. “The current declines are widespread. The damage comprises about 80 percent of the overall fish production. The relevant authorities have not performed adequate supervision. Now fish raised in open pits are being sold on the streets, and it is unclear how they ended up there,” noted Atoyan.

He pointed out that Armenian fish products are quite healthy and highly competitive in external markets because high-quality water, similar to drinking water, is used in the farms. This is why there are few diseases. There are rarely declines, but not on this scale. According to Atoyan, some private entities have acted to push Armenian fish products out of the international market and facilitated the infiltration of the infection from Iran, leading to unprecedented and horrific declines in fish farming enterprises. All fish species being farmed have been infected. People have even buried expensive fish by the ton.

Atoyan denied circulating rumors that the dead fish had been sold beforehand and were intended for export. He stated that fish farm owners are trying to cope with the situation on their own, with some establishing contact with specialists from research and veterinary establishments in developed countries and are seeking solutions with their own resources. Atoyan expressed concern that the dead fish may end up in the market.

For comments on these statements, the news outlet contacted the Food Safety Inspection Body. Anush Harutunyan, head of the Public Relations, Consulting, and Community Engagement Division, assured Sputnik Armenia that the inspection body is properly conducting checks on imported food at Armenia’s border checkpoints, and if individuals see deficiencies in the activities of the FSIB, they should provide evidence. She urged people to inform the inspection body in advance if they have information regarding animal infections.

It should be noted that several large fish farms we contacted did not confirm Atoyan's claims. According to the FSIB circular, the largest decline of fish has been recorded at the fish farm in the community of Hayanist. In another 3-4 enterprises, the declines have not been as significant. The FSIB is currently conducting continuous monitoring in the fish farms of the Ararat region.

It is noted that 98-100 thousand tons of fish are exported from Armenia annually (excluding domestic consumption). Thus, the aforementioned 58 tons of fish that have been destroyed does not even constitute 1 percent of the country’s total production.