The first batch of this year was released on June 13, 2022. According to Environment Ministry, about 15,577 items of summer trout with an average weight of 5.8 grams and 150,000 items of Gegharkunik trout with an average weight of 1.1 grams were released into Lake Sevan. The release of small fish took place in Tsakkar and Gavaraget rivers.
It should be noted that the small fish are raised in the fish farm by Sevan Aqua CJSC of Sevan Trout Rehabilitation and Fish Breeding Development Fund, which has been committed to releasing small fish into the lake since 2016 to restore Sevan trout stocks.
According to RA Ministry Environment, 625,109 items of Sevan trout weighing 1.64-112 grams were released into Lake Sevan in 2020, out of which 592,433 were subspecies of Gegharkunik trout, and 32,676 were summer trout.
Measures of releasing small fish have not solved the problem of restoring trout stocks in Lake Sevan. Why is that? In his conversation with EcoLur, Bardukh Gabrielyan, Director of Scientific Center for Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA, said that we cannot talk about the restored stock or population as long as there is no natural reproduction of fish.
According to Bardukh Gabrielyan, there are several obstacles to spawning. "The first is poaching. They even catch small fish, they come from the shore and catch them in buckets. The two subspecies of trout lay eggs in the river. When they are ready to climb rivers, they are caught again in the estuaries.
On the other hand, we do not have a river that has favorable conditions for trout to lay eggs. In all rivers, either the directions have changed or there is insufficient water," he said.
Bardukh Gabrielyan sees a way to solve the problem. It is necessary to carry out a pilot program in the river favorable for the spawning of trout, to establish strict control, to exclude poaching, to clear the obstacles, to create conditions for the trout to rise. Karchaghbyur River may serve as such a river, which is fed by a spring.
"Only in case having favorable river conditions and exclusion of poaching, we can we have a restoration of fish stocks," he said.
June 14, 2022 at 15:38