Iran eyes 15% increase in annual fishery output

Iran is expecting a moderate 15-percent increase in fishery production in the current calendar year as the country keeps expanding its aquaculture sector to alleviate concerns about reaching biological limits in marine fishery.

Head of Iran’s fisheries organization said on Monday that annual output of various fishery products in the country is expected to reach 1.5 million metric tons by late March 2021.

Nabiollah Khunmirzaei said Iranian aquaculture sector is expected to further expand this year as the government imposes additional bans on marine fishery while introducing incentives to encourage fish farming across the country.

“This year, aquaculture in the country will outdo marine fishing for a first time and this trend will continue over next years due to investment in aquaculture sector,” said Khunmirzaei, adding that annual aquaculture production is to reach a total of 800,000 tons by late March 2021.

For the past years, Iran, a country with 12,000 square kilometers of water surface, has seen a surge in fishery production and exports.

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Official figures show Iran’s aquaculture output more than doubled in three year to reach nearly 650,000 tons by March 2019.

Domestic demand for seafood keeps increasing, said Khunmirzaei, adding that Iranians are consuming an average of 15 kilograms of seafood products each year, up from 12 kilograms in 2018.

Iran also views increased export of aquaculture product as a stable source of revenue at the time the country’s access to hard currency remains tight because of American sanctions targeting the sale of oil.

Rainbow trout, caviar and various species of shrimp from Iran are becoming increasingly popular in other countries.

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