Around 400 000 people, living in the Masis and Artashat regions can lose the opportunity of agriculture. The development of fish production has created huge problems for the artesian waters of the Ararat vhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SbYbq6lp20alley. Beginning in 2003, an intensive process of establishing fish ponds began, and the government granted licensesfor drilling canals in the area of the self-pumping spring areas and to taking water. Baghdasaryan Zhora, a denizen of Ranchpar village says that the village has water problems. It is May already, and there is no water for washing nor for the animals. Everything is clear, there is even no water for irrigating this small piece of land. There is this much salt on the ground in autumn and winter. The natural underground water reservoirs of the Ararat basin have an annual limit of usage,which may cause serious problems. In 2007-2008 the deep drilling process intensified even further, and in 2013, the limit of 1,1 billioncubic meters per year was passed and the use reached to 1,8 billion cubic meters. Levon Galstyan, a member of the Armenian Environmental Front, civic initiative says,that the Ministry of Environmental Protection either not knowingly, or not understandingly,or was just engaging into corruption, gave that license of overusing the resources by 700 mln cubic meters. Levon Galstyan, board member of “Pan-Armenian Environmental Front” civil initiative700 mln is 18 times the amount of drinking water used by the whole of Yerevan. I’m making this comparison, because this fish pond uses the drinking water reservoirs. Arthur Grigoryan, who is a lawyer and an environmental activist, didn’t want to talk about the environmentalissues caused by the development of the fish industry, preferring to address the legalside of giving licenses for deep drilling and using the underground reservoirs. Arthur Grigoryan, a lawyer, environmental activistInstead of trying to find who is guilty, who gave the permission, which, after all was illegal,they brought a new draft law, which does not include that limit, rather suggests a plan of managementfor the reservoir, and the national water committee decides the allowable amount. So in fact, they are solving the problem in a different way; instead of forbidding the overuse,they bring this problem to a sphere, where there isn’t a measurable indicator. Beginning in 2009, the fish ponds used the underground reservoirs 24 hours a day,since for the development of trout, sturgeon and other species flowing sweet water is needed. Levon Galstyan states, that the water must have been circulated for economizing purposes. Levon Galstyan, board member of “Pan-Armenian Environmental Front” civil initiativeInstead the 70% of the water must be circulated, enriched with oxygen and used again,while only the 30% must flow out. Trout and sturgeon live only in water of that quality. However they don’t want to spend money, they prefer to overconsume the natural flow. Though having no sea, Armenia exports more fish via using the underground natural waterreservoirs, than its neighbors Azerbaijan and Georgia, which both have seas. Addressing this issue,Member of Parliament Aram Manukyan, says that Armenia is doing it via destroying its natural resources. Aram Manukyan, MPFish and caviar have become a notable part of Armenian exports. It’s sent to Russia,though Russia is not a landlocked country, half of the world’s waters are around Russia. However we are sending black and red caviar and fish to Russia. It is ridiculous,that we are wasting our scarce water resources. Baghdasaryan Zhora, village RanchparSo what, Armenia has become fish-producing, the Pacific Ocean is here, or what?We live in a mountainous area, we earn our bread via working hard,and cultivating the land among these rocks. In February 2013, privileges were granted to the fish industry, and they were exempt from paying income tax. Villagers should pay 2,5 ¢ for irrigation water, while the fish ponds pay only 0,1¢ for using the drinking water. Zhora Baghdasaryan does not know who gave the licenses,but he mentioned that the quality of water and the quantity has gone down. Baghdasaryan Zhora, village RanchparHow should I irrigate my yard? I gather the water drop by drop. People use buckets for irrigation, is it a way to irrigate? Buckets are not a normal irrigation system:Irrigation water must be different from the drinking water, however they are neither now.
