Whitefish Fishing in Lake Sevan Becomes More Challenging
Industrial whitefish (sig) fishing in Lake Sevan is prohibited from November 20, 2025, until February 1, 2026. This restriction aims to protect the lake’s biodiversity and stimulate the natural reproduction of whitefish, ensuring the stable restoration of the lake’s fish stocks.
Lusine Avetisyan, Head of the Strategic Policy Department of the RA Ministry of Environment, noted that this decision is considered a strategic step to ensure the protection of the Lake Sevan ecosystem.
According to legislation, violations of fishing rules, as well as illegal fishing, entail administrative and criminal liability. Measures prescribed by law will be applied to boats and fishing gear discovered in the lake after November 20; therefore, the Ministry calls on economic entities to remove these means in a timely manner.
Concurrently, starting from January 1, 2026, the resource utilization fees for whitefish in Lake Sevan will increase from 65 Drams to 200 Drams per kilogram, which is equivalent to the rates last revised in 2006. This change in fees aims to properly value natural resources and ensure a fair distribution mechanism.
All these measures are assessed as an important step toward controlling the exploitation of whitefish.