NEW WEBSITE FEATURES ARMENIAN BIRDS WHILE HUNTING SEASON OPENS
Armenpress
Aug 17 2007
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, ARMENPRESS: A new website dedicated to the wild
birds of Armenia has just been launched. The Armenian Ecotourism
Association said the entire resource is richly illustrated with
original photographs.
Although the site is still under development it already features
descriptions of bird habitats, draft checklist of the birds occurring
in Armenia, and practical recommendations and useful links for
birdwatchers visiting the country.
Of special interest is a photographic gallery of Armenia’s birds,
covering a high percentage of the country’s avifauna and including
pictures of recently discovered species. This website should be
particularly interesting for professional and amateur ornithologists.
The authors of the project are freelance ornithologists: Vasil Ananyan
(Armenia) and Chris Bradshaw (United Kingdom).
The website is at
Meantime Armenia’s Nature Protection Ministry and the National
Association of Hunters announced the opening of another hunting
season. Grigor Grigorian, the Association chairman, said to journalists
hunting quotas were established after thorough studies. He also said
many members of the Association are government officials.
All Armenian citizens aged 18 and higher can join one of three
hunting organizations after they get the police permission to carry
weapons. Currently some 25,000 Armenians are members of 3 hunting
organizations paying an annual membership fee of 1000 Drams (a little
more than $3).
Grigor Grigorian admitted that there are problems concerning fighting
poaching, saying 200 nature protection inspectors are not enough to
supervise the situation. About 60 species of animals and birds are
allowed in Armenia as hunting ‘objects."