Industry on brink of collapse: fish farmers demand government solve problem

Armenia’s fish farmers are holding a protest in front of the government building of Armenia, demanding a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister. According to one of the protest participants, the industry has found itself on the brink of collapse, while state agencies are presenting the problem as resolved by holding discussions with individuals who do not represent the sector.

“Since May 12, Russia has halted imports of Armenian fish products, citing allegedly low quality or the conduct of temporary inspections. But the head of our Food Safety Inspection Body himself has stated that 97% of Armenian fish products are in perfect condition. We are being offered to enter the European market, but we are not competitive there. Norway alone exported 1,150,000 tons of fish to European countries in 2024. We export only 14,000 tons to Russia, and even in that market it was very difficult for us to compete,” he said.