ABOUT 80% OF HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS AND POLITICAL FIGURES IN ARMENIA ARE MEMBERS OF UNION OF HUNTERS

Noyan Tapan

Au g 22, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Favorable conditions for hunters
have been created in Armenia, the chairman of "The National Alliance
of Armenian Hunters" Grigor Grigorian stated at the August 22 press
conference. One of the future projects of their NGO is to create a
special area for hunting.

With this aim the organization purchased a 1,000-ha land plot and
envisages to breed several types of animals there.

G. Grigorian said that about 80% of high-ranking officials and
political figures are members of their organization. However,
according to him, about 30% of them regularly go hunting. Among
them are the former president and many ministers. In the past,
some statesmen were engaged in hunting the animals whose hunt is
illegal and did so in the forbidden season. As a result, according
to G. Grigorian, many animal species, for example, grey partridge,
have become extinct. In his words, today the picture is different:
officials do not take such illegal steps.