The Sevan whitefish may be critically endangered again, Bardukh Gabrielyan, the head of the Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, told reporters. "During the period of collapse of the Soviet Union, the whitefish was one of the few foodstuffs in Armenia and this resulted in almost full extinction of the species. The same may happen now and we should be ready to prevent that threat to the biodiversity of the unique Sevan basin," the expert said.
Among the possible ways out of the situation, Gabrielyan pointed out the need not only to reduce the fishery, but also to replenish the strategic whitefish stock, as well as to raise the water level in the Lake and to clean it. Gabrielyan noted that new projects are being prepared to increase the fish stock in the lake, including the whitefish stock.
"One should also pay attention to the environmental condition of the rivers running into the Sevan. The pollution of the rivers may have a negative effect on the lake," the expert said. He added that since 2004 the water level in the lake has considerably risen to 1900m. This has also improved the quality of the water and can also have a favorable effect on recovery of the lake ecosystem. "Treatment facilities will be built in Martuni, Gavar and Vardenis to contribute to the fish stock growth," the expert said.