Fishing for Bream Remains Prohibited: Fishermen Will Not Be Allowed to Enter Lake Sevan Before March 1

Fishing for bream in Lake Sevan will not be permitted to begin on January 20 as previously announced, but rather on March 1. This was reported to Sputnik Armenia by Sevak Baloyan, head of the Department of Biological Resources Management at the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia.

"After January 20, fishing will not be allowed. The tightening of the ban is due to the bream's intensive spawning period and the need for more stringent monitoring measures. However, it is not the case that bream fishing will be permitted after January 20. According to the government's decision draft, commercial fishing for bream is scheduled to begin on March 1," the official clarified, adding that the draft of the relevant decision is already circulating in the government.

The draft plans to allow commercial fishing for bream this year from March 1 until September 1. The allowable catch amount is set at 255 tons, down from the previous year's 300 tons. The reason for the reduction in the catch quota is the decline in the bream population in Lake Sevan.

According to studies by the National Academy of Sciences, the biomass of bream in Lake Sevan was on a positive trend in recent years. Unfortunately, this year, there is a notable decline. Therefore, it is planned to set a lower quota at least for the first phase of the fishing season," Baloyan reported.