Experts are unanimous that existence of Sevan National Park is formal

 The activity of Sevan National Park undergoes criticism again. 

Earlier in an interview with ArmInfo, WWF-Armenia Head Karen Manvelyan pointed out the need to change the approach to the Sevan National Park. "Perhaps, we need a special protected area rather than a national park. This would make it possible to focus on the ishkhan (Armenian trout) spawn rivers running into Lake Sevan, as well as on the small ponds in the Sevan basin. In addition, more attention should be paid to the near-shore areas, for instance, the Areguni chain", he said, noting that Sevan National Park does not meet Category II (National Park) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).     

"I share Manvelyan's opinion that Sevan National Park does not perform its functions properly, to put it mildly," Bardukh Gabrielyan, Head of the Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, told ArmInfo.  

"The key function of a national park is to protect and reproduce certain species of plants and animals, as well as to organize eco-tourism. In the case of Sevan National Park, there is neither protection nor reproduction," he stressed.  

He said that experts have repeatedly voiced their recommendations to change the situation. "Relevant bodies - first and foremost, the leadership of Sevan National Park, Nature Protection Ministry and local administrations - should tackle this issue," Gabrielyan said.
To note, Sevan National Park was founded in 1978.