Rather than submit to government demands to install water meters and to change the status of their land (from useless for agricultural purposes (as it is now) to arable), some Armenian fish breeders have put their farms up for sale.

Twenty five of 250 fish-breeding farms in Armenia, which mainly produce trout and sturgeon are on the market. Eight of them, according to Arthur Atoyan, director of the Union of Fish-Breeders, are facing fines, in violation of several laws on environment, as well as on taxes for usage of natural resources and water. The fines range from about $930 to $33,000.

A year before the Parliamentary elections, leader of the People’s Party Tigran Karapetyan, who lost the license for his ALM television station, has taken the drastic measure of giving out his mobile phone number as a means for potential electorate to hear his message.

At the fourth rally held in Yerevan on January 19, which was significant in that it drew around 6,000 – about the same amount who rally for the leading Armenian National Congress at its periodic public gatherings -- people were given leaflets, with Karapetyan’s phone numbers (+37410 24 93 99, +37491 42 40 20).

A draft resolution referring to environmental problems of Armenia was approved at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), however only Heritage Party member Zaruhi Postanjyan, the author of the initiative, endorsed the document on behalf of Armenia.

On January 28, 24 PACE delegates endorsed the draft, called ‘On the disastrous impact of developing current and expected mining deposits of Armenia on environment’.

This year the Government of Armenia will promote the export of fish from Armenia according to a statement by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Fish farmers, however, are skeptical of the claim.

Sargsyan has not specified how the program will be implemented, however, since last year the idea of exporting Armenian trout and surgeon not only to Russia and Georgia but also to European countries and the United States has been speculated.

The website of the Ministry of Transport and Communication of Armenia was recognized as the most transparent among official websites of state bodies of Armenia during research held by the Committee on the Defense of Freedom of Speech.

Twenty-three official websites and ten provincial websites were studied in September-October, 2010, a program, financed by the Open Public Institute.

People’s Party leader Tigran Karapetyan, head of a marginal but vibrant following, stated at a rally in Yerevan on Wednesday afternoon that he is giving the Armenian authorities until February 28 to meet his "justice-seeking" movement's demands, or else he will declare a drive for early elections.

“We will begin to struggle for the rights of political prisoners jailed in the wake of the 2008 presidential election, we will demand that pensions and minimum wages be raised, etc,” stated Karapetyan addressing his supporters near ancient manuscripts museum Matenadaran in downtown Yerevan, voicing concerns that, while raising passion, are not unique to the People’s Party platform.

Professors and students of the Yerevan State College of Variety and Jazz Art are against the government’s decree on joining their college with the Yerevan State College of Culture.

Well-known Armenian singers Suzan Margaryan, Erna Yuzbashyan, Aida Sargsyan, Nune Yesayan, Emma Petrosyan and others are the alumnae of this 30-year-old college.

The reduced number of residential houses to be constructed in Gyumri worries residents who lost shelters after the Spitak earthquake (in 1988), and who are still waiting for their turn to get an apartment.

Last year the number of flats was reduced as well. Instead of the planned 1,320 apartments, only 1,056 were delivered to residents of Gyumri, and this year only 1,750 apartments will be ready instead of the planned 1,944.

Insurance companies and specialists in insurance policy are claiming that police are hiding the real number of road accidents having occurred since mandatory insurance went into effect January 1. They charge that road police are taking bribes from motorists in order to avoid paying fines or insurance claims.

Last May the National Assembly of Armenia passed a law obliging all of about 450,000 vehicle owners in Armenia to buy a ‘third-party’ damage insurance policy priced between 16,000 and 109,000 AMD (about $45-300).

On the eve of the Old New Year (celebrated by many in Armenia and elsewhere in former Eastern bloc countries on Jan. 13) WinterFest 2010 summed up the results of its mission, awarding prizes and certificates to active helpers through Dzmer and Kaghand paps (Armenian Santa Clauses).

Awards to them were given by the organizers of the Christmas season events as part of WinterFest – Kanachastan NGO, Deem Communications and Boghossian Gardens. Armenia’s mobile phone operator Orange and other institutions, including the Yerevan municipality and the Ministry of Culture, have also acted as sponsors of the events.