A wide range of wild plants are collected and used in Armenia, including:

· Over 200 wild plants are used for food in Armenia, and different species are eaten either fresh, cooked, pickled or dried. However, of around 300 edible mushroom species only 10 are regularly used by local people. Over-collection of some species (such as hornbeam, and foxtail lilies, Eremurus spectabilis) has resulted in population declines, and some species of edible plant are now relatively rare. Many other species (around 2000) are used as fodder plants for livestock (for example clover, alfalfa, and meadow foxtail).

· A number of timber species are used for fuel, construction, and carpentry. Key species include oak, beech, and hornbeam. A significant amount of wood was also used in the tin mining and smelting industry.

· Around 10% of plants in Armenia are thought to have some medicinal value, and have been used for traditional medicine for many years. Key medicinal plants include species of hawthorn (Crataegus), blackthorn (Rhamnus), juniper (Juniperus), barberries (Berberis), roses (Rosa), and St. John's wort (Hypericum). A further 120 species are known as a source for essential oils (such as Thymus spp., Helichrysum spp., and Artemisia spp.), and 130 for their high vitamin content.

· Around 300 plants are used for their decorative value, as a source of horticultural plants.

· Plants are also used in a range of other ways: for dyeing (120 species, including Euphorbia, Rhamnus, Sambucus, and Rubia); for tannin production (60 species); and for resin (around 60 species, including Astragalus).

The wildlife of Armenia is affected by a number of forms of use of wild animals, particularly hunting and fishing.

Sport hunting is widely practised in Armenia, although there is little commercial hunting. In order to limit the impact on the environment, hunting is regulated through the use of a licensing system. At present, around 20,000 hunters are registered, and the Armenian Hunters Association ('Hayhuntunion') regulates hunting in compliance with the various rules and limits set by the Ministry of Nature Protection (Table 4.5). However, limited resources restrict the support that can be given to maintaining populations of game species. Although the Armenian Hunters Association still issues licences, its other activities (such as anti-poaching work and supplementary feeding of game species) have declined.

Fishing in Armenia has long been of importance for both sport and commerce, and is allowed anywhere apart from protected areas. Lake Sevan supports extensive commercial fishing, representing 90% of fisheries. Following the decrease in the level of the lake, the key fish species caught have changed from Sevan trout and 'koghak' to whitefish and goldfish (see Table 4.6). Since 1996, commercial fishing in Lake Sevan has been based on licences and contracts issued through the Ministry of Nature Protection.

Table 4.5 Number of licences issued and used for different game species between 1994 and 1996

Table 4.6 Catches of commercial fish species in Lake Sevan (in tonnes, totaled over five-year periods)

Snake vemon is used in traditional medicine to treat conditions such as epilepsy, haemophilia, cancer, and asthma. Snakes including the bluntnose viper (Vipera lebetina) and the Russian viper (V. raddei) are therefore collected for their venom, resulting in substantial declines in populations of these species (particularly V. lebetina).