Summer bakhtak: Red Data Book of Armenia

Salmons — Salmonidae

Status. An endangered endemic subspecies of limited distribution. Listed in the Red Data Book of the former USSR. According to IUCN criteria categorized as Critically Endangered CR A2cd.

Distribution in Armenia. Lives only in the Lake Sevan, not recorded outside of Armenia. An object of commercial pisciculture.

Habitats. Inhabits the Lake Sevan. Spawning occurs in rivers, sometimes in the lake. A generative fluvio–lacustrine subspecies.

Biological traits. Maturity is reached at 3–7 years. Spawning occurs mostly in spring–fed tributaries from April to June. Some part of the population spawns in the lake, river mouths or underwater springs. Feeds mainly on hammarids and larvae of terrestrial insects.

Population size and its trends. Before the mid–1970s, it was an abundant fish of commercial importance with the annual harvest rates up to 100 tonnes. In 2004–2006, about 20 individuals were caught during reproduction and migrations.

Major threats. The principal threats are shoaling of rivers with spawning grounds, water pollution, dryout of lake spawning grounds and poaching.

Conservation measures. The methods of artificial breeding are developed. At present, breeding is carried out mostly by commercial fish farms for further release of reared individuals back into the wild. An object of commercial pisciculture, with the annual production reaching 10 tonnes. Catch prohibited since 1978. Protected in Sevan National Park. Special approaches should be developed to control fishing within the habitats and spawning grounds and to release into the Lake Sevan large quantities of hutchlings acquired from fish farms.