Fine for Keeping Wild Animals Without Permission

The newspaper "Zhoghovurd" reports that the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia has put forward a draft decision to amend the Law on Animal World, which will introduce penalties for both legal entities and individuals who keep animals listed in the Red Book, if they fail to provide registration data to the authorized state body.

Additionally, it is noted that individuals of retirement age will be granted a permit for amateur fishing, which will become free of charge, subsequently addressing the social issues faced by this age group. According to information obtained by "Zhoghovurd," around 4,000 citizens applied to the Ministry of Environment for amateur fishing permits as of 2019, nearly 2,000 of whom were of retirement age.

Currently, Armenian legislation only prohibits illegal hunting. However, it turns out that the documentation aspect is not regulated. It has been revealed that a legislative ban on this activity will be planned. Sevak Baloyan, head of the management department of animal resources at the agency of biological resources management of the Ministry of Environment, stated in an interview with "Zhoghovurd" that there is a need for these changes.

When asked which body should oversee this process, Baloyan responded, "The oversight will be conducted by the Environmental and Mining Inspectorate. The Ministry does not have supervisory functions; it is our ministry's task to ensure the legislative framework." More details are available in the article.