ARMENIAN ICHTHYOLOGISTS SET NO LIMITS ON CRUCIAN CARP FISHING IN SEVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 5. ARMINFO. Armenian ichtyologists have imposed no limits
on crucian carp fishing in Lake Sevan this year.

Deputy Director of Institute of Hydrology and Ichtyology of Armenia’s
National Academy of Sciences Boris Gabriyelyan says that as many
crucian carps live in Sevan today as sigs (white fish). They eat the
food of the basic species and so are not wanted in the lake. The fish
got into the lake in 1980 because of negligence and has been quickly
multiplying there since then. Meanwhile bakhtak and bojak (kinds of
trout) are near extinction. Gabriyelyan says that the raising of
Sevan’s level and urgent ecological measures will allow if not to
fully restore at least to save the population of trout in Sevan.

Meanwhile scientists are convinced that human activities and shallowing
rather than other species are responsible for declining number of
trout and white fish in Sevan. Sig is fished in uncontrolled amounts
while trout suffers from inability to spawn in the shallowing lake.

To remind, the level of Sevan was lowered by 20 meters for using its
water for irrigation. In the last two years the level has been raised
by 93 cm to 1,897.78 meters.