ArmInfo. The RA Ministry of Environment has submitted for public discussion a draft government decision to extend the temporary ban on the export of whitefish caviar.
The rationale for the draft states that the ban will take effect on January 2, 2027, and will last for six months. The Cabinet decision is necessary to ensure food security in the RA, the sustainable use of the living resources of Lake Sevan, and the preservation of biodiversity. As a result of the process of regulating industrial whitefish fishery in Lake Sevan, a stable whitefish biomass is observed (2668 tons in 2019, 2345 tons in 2020, 5348 tons in 2021, 4700 tons in 2022, 3974 tons in 2023, 1293 tons in 2024, 3591.8 tons in 2025), which makes it possible to implement industrial whitefish fishery in Lake Sevan (300 tons in 2020, 300 tons in 2021, 600 tons in 2022, 600 tons in 2023, 679 tons in 2024, 1123 tons in 2025). However, the trend of increasing whitefish biomass in recent years still doesn't ensure natural growth and optimal numbers of wild fish species in the lake (according to some scientific data, the total stock is up to 10,000 tons, with the commercial catch being approximately 2,000 tons or more).
One of the important conditions for ensuring a sustainable commercial whitefish catch in Lake Sevan is ensuring natural reproduction. As experience in recent years has shown, ensuring natural reproduction of whitefish maintains a stable commercial volume. To ensure natural reproduction and to prevent poaching of whitefish in Lake Sevan, a comprehensive program of strict measures is implemented annually from late November to February of the following year. In order to prevent possible negative consequences of the export of whitefish caviar, which has high value on the international market, as well as to prevent possible negative consequences of high anthropogenic impact and consumer attitudes towards biological resources, and to ensure the conservation and natural reproduction of a fish species with high industrial value, this legal act provides for the establishment of a ban on the export of whitefish caviar from the territory of the Republic of Armenia for a period of six months, starting from January 2, 2027. -
