Six-Month Ban on Exporting Sig Fish Fry from Armenia

The Ministry of Environment has circulated a draft government decision on the temporary ban on the export of sig fish fry from the territory of the Republic of Armenia on the unified platform for the publication of legal acts and projects, e-draft.am.

As a result of the regulation process for the industrial catch of sig fish in Lake Sevan, there has been a noticeable increase in the biomass of sig fish in recent years (2,668 tons in 2019, 2,345 tons in 2020, and 5,348 tons in 2021), which allows for a small amount of industrial fish catch in Lake Sevan (300 tons in 2020, 300 tons in 2021, and 600 tons in 2022). However, the observed trend of increasing biomass in recent years does not yet ensure the natural growth of the wild fish species and an optimal population in the lake (according to some scientific data, the total stock should be up to 10,000 tons, with industrial catch around 2,000 tons or more).

Based on the above, we can state that the Republic of Armenia still lacks any wild fish species whose fry has production significance, as continuous growth of fish species volumes is still necessary.

Considering the nascent and pilot nature of the regulation of industrial fishing in Lake Sevan, as well as the significant negative impact of human activity on the lake over the past decades and the consumer attitude towards biological resources, a ban on the export of sig fish fry from the territory of the Republic of Armenia is proposed to prevent potential negative consequences and to ensure the preservation and natural reproduction of this high-value wild fish species.