Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
Iran forecasts cultivating 455,000 tons of sea creatures (not counting fish cultivated in cages) during the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2019), Hossein Ali Abdollahi, an official at Iran Fisheries Organization, told the website of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad of Iran, Trend reports.
According to Abdollahi, it was expected that 237,000 tons of carp would be cultivated during the current Iranian year. However, taking floods into account, about 200,000 tons will be cultivated.
He also stated that, due to damages caused by floods, the cultivation of about 150,000 tons of salmonidae is planned for this year, along with the cultivation of 70,000 tons of shrimp in reservoirs and lakes (in addition to the cultivation of 50,000 tons of shrimp in saline water) and of 3,400 tons of sturgeon.
"At present, 12 species of water are being cultivated in Iran, and the number of species will reach 17 by the end of the 6th Development Program," he said.
Touching on the damage caused by floods to the fishery sector, Abdollahi said that, according to the calculations, 10-15 percent of carp and 15-20 percent of salmonidae perished during the floods.
"As a result of floods, 5.3 trillion rials ($126 million according to official exchange rate and $36.5 million in black market) of damage was done to fish cultivation facilities," he said.
Abdollahi said that 490,000 tons of sea creatures (not counting fish cultivated in cages) were cultivated during the last Iranian year (started March 21, 2018). Some 189,000 tons of carp, 174,000 tons of salmonidae, 60,000 tons of fish in domestic water reserves, 47,000 tons of shrimp were cultivated last year.
Abdollahi also said that 5,970 tons of sturgeon were cultivated at fish cultivation facilities last year.
According to the official, sturgeon is being cultivated at 120 facilities in Iran's Kerman, Qom, Markazi, Qazvin and coastal provinces.