Armenia plans to export fish and fish products to the EU for the first time
YEREVAN, March 13. /ARKA/. Armenia has received permission to export fish and fish products to EU countries for the first time.
"The Armenian regulator and the relevant EU structures have been negotiating this issue for almost 8 years, and monitoring was carried out at local fish farms. Armenia has already been included in the relevant EU regulation," said Tigran Petrosyan, Deputy Head of the Food Safety Inspectorate of Armenia, during a press conference on Thursday.
He noted that one of the EU’s requirements is for Armenian producers to register in the EU TRACES system. After that, they must apply for an export permit, undergo laboratory testing of their products, and expedite the administrative process related to exports.
Meanwhile, Tigran Aleksanyan, Head of the Livestock Department of the Ministry of Economy of Armenia, reported that international experts had visited Armenia and expressed satisfaction with the quality of fish and fish products in the country.
He also informed that in 2024, about 27,000 tons of locally produced fish and fish products were registered, which is approximately 4-5% more compared to 2023.
Gor Grigoryan, Director of the NGO "Association of Fish Farmers of Armenia," noted that in 2024, around 15,000 tons of fish products were exported.
"In particular, the products are supplied to Russia, the UAE, and the USA. More than 90% of processing industries in Armenia are equipped with European production technologies. Exporting to Europe is not an end in itself for us. First, we need to study the European market, assess supply and demand, as the European market is very complex, and we will face significant competition there," Grigoryan said.
Earlier, the EU Delegation to Armenia announced that Armenia officially received the right to export scaled fish and caviar to EU countries, starting from March 16, 2025.
According to Armstat, the gross production volume in Armenia's fish farming sector in 2024 amounted to over 57.63 billion drams, increasing by 4.3% compared to 2023. ($1 = 394.04 drams).
