Have Fishermen Been Deceived? Clarifications from the Ministry of Environment

On December 11, fish breeders gathered in front of the government’s third building to hold a protest, demanding that the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia postpone the adoption of the draft amendments to the Water Code. On December 22, they requested a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to get clarifications regarding the situation of losses of artesian water. The protesters insist that illegal drilling holes should be closed, and water-saving systems must be introduced for fish breeding farms.

According to circulating reports, one of the deputy ministers from the Ministry of Environment met with the fishermen and promised that they would have the right to catch fish until December 25. However, days later, law enforcement officers unexpectedly visited during fishing time, arrested fishermen, and prohibited fishing, which triggered outrage among the fishermen, leading them to organize protests.

Auroranews contacted Ani Hakobyan, the press secretary of the Ministry of Environment, to verify the truthfulness of this information. “A week before the incidents, the minister, the governor, and representatives from the relevant agencies met with fishermen, and there were no such promises. The ban remains in effect until January 25,” she said.