Environmentalists propose ban on fishing in Lake Sevan

National Academy of Sciences' Hydroecology and Icthiology Institute has asked the government to ban fishing in Lake Sevan, Bardukh Gabrielyan, the director of the institute, told a news conference on Friday.

The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Nature Protection.

A leading specialist of the Ministry's Bioresources Management Agency, Norayr Abrahamyan, said that 200,000 baby fishes have been released into the lake this year, compared with the last year's 307,000 fishes.

He also added that the program is ongoing and 28 million drams were spent for its implementation this year.

Speaking further at the news conference, Gabrielyan voiced concerns over the illegal trade in fish, particularly trout.

"Protection should be carried out properly so as the invested sums are spent effectively," he said.

In response, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Head of the Biodiversity Department at Nature Protection Ministry's State Inspection, said the protection of baby fishes was carried out on a proper level.

"On the first three days, inspectors controlled the area in an all-day-round regime, then they started exercising daily control," he added.