Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Abbreviations: Kg, kilogram; kW, kilowatt; L/sec., Liters Per Second; L/min., Liters Per Minute; m, Meters; mg/l, Milligrams Per Liter; m2, Square Meters; m3, Cubic Meters; Mm3/year, Million Cubic Meters Per Year; AMD, Armenian Drams (local currency) Introduction According to the “Food and Agriculture Organization”, 1 a steady growth trend of the aquaculture sector worldwide is observed. Modernized technological approaches are being actively developed and implemented in many countries (Denmark, Norway, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, China, Canada, and USA). 2 Such eforts aim to the formation of a new type of enterprises that is corresponding to the modern demands (rational use of water resources, applying environmental friendly technologies of disease prevention and disinfection, optimization management of the enterprise), leading to production intensifcation, and Nature rational use. In these countries, the state agencies responsible for natural resources management are creating a legal, regulatory and tax environment for supporting services and promotion of activities of aquaculture enterprises. 3 The aquaculture sector in Armenia shows stable growth since early 2000s with an annual growth rate of 12 to 20%. 4 In 2013, the Arminian fsh production was 11,600 tons, of which 6,300 tons were rainbow trout. 5,6 However, out of more than 230 enterprises represented in the sector, only 2% is responsible for about 44% of the production output. The remaining 56% of the production (6,500 tons) comes out of small scale producers. However, the water resource suitable for the aquaculture of both salmon and sturgeon is limited, with an annual consumption rate of 10-17%. 7 Meanwhile, the regulatory measures established by the government, mainly aimed at enhancing the rates of water. Thus, the tarif for artesian water taken from the well, according to the decree № 864 from 30.12.1998 with the amendment number 123-N from 30.12.2013, was increased by 10 times. 8 Thus, the total payments for the exploitation of water resources are now one of the major cost items, especially for small scale producers. Such cost directly afects the production prime cost, since all enterprises in the sector, except for one cage farm on Lake Sevan, practice fow- through method. In that method the water (the vast majority of which comes from artesian source) fows through a series of fsh-tanks, without being reused and is discharged in a volume corresponding to the volume of intake. In such systems, according to our surveys, the productivity does not exceed 25-30 kg of fsh per cubic meter of water which is very low, in terms of the economics of the farm, as well as the resource use. Introducing the modern production practices, in small-scale producers, will intensify their current production between 75 and 100 kg of fsh per m3 and increase the water reuse, reducing its intake to 70%. In other words such practice can thereby raise the efciency J Aquac Mar Biol. 2015;2(5):196‒200. 196 ©2015 Aghababyan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestrited use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Towards sustainable aquaculture in armenia: strengthening capacity through advanced technologies of trout-farm management for small- scale producers Volume 2 Issue 5 - 2015 Karen Aghababyan, Gurgen Khanamirian American University of Armenia, Armenia Correspondence: Karen Aghababyan American University of Armenia, Baghramian 40,Yerevan, Armenia, Tel +37495 544405, Email Received: June 22, 2015 | Published: September 08, 2015 Abstract The present study examines the possibility of introducing a new approach for rainbow trout production for small scale producers in Armenia. This approach is based on the intensity of economic activity by modernizing the production processes leading to measurable economic and environmental benefts. The study shows that the modernization of the standard model of the enterprise, which initially produces two tons, results in an increase of the annual performance of the module up to eight tons. By investing; slightly over 25,000 USD; in modernizing the production processes, it becomes possible to reduce the production cost (USD/kg fsh) from 3.04 USD using the traditional approach to 2.68 USD in the frst year reaching 2.24 USD by the fourth. At the same time, the production technology changes; during the implementation of the pilot module (including change of water disinfection technology); result in a water consumption reduction of the enterprise of more than 300,000 m3 per year, along with the pollution reduction of natural water bodies by persistent disinfectants. Thus, introducing the advanced technology leads to: a. A signifcant reduction in the production costs, which in turn increases the income for small scale producers b. Rationalizes the consumption of limited resources of artesian water which reduces the pressure on the freshwater ecosystems c. Increasing the level of environmental sustainability. Keywords: Small scale producers, Proftability, Cost reduction, Prime cost, Payback, Intensifcation of production, Recirculation aquaculture system, Water resource management, Impact on freshwater ecosystems Journal of Aquaculture & Marine Biology Research Article Open Access