Seafood consumption per capita in Iran reached 13.3 kg in the year ending March 2021, indicating a 56% increase compared with 8.5 kg in the year President Hassan Rouhani took office, i.e., fiscal 2013-14.
According to Nabiollah Khounmirzaei, the head of Iran Fisheries Organization, the country’s overall seafood production increased by more than 38% from 885,000 tons to 1.22 million tons during the period under review.
“In the fishing sector, output grew 35% from 514,000 tons in the year ending March 2014 to 700,000 tons in the last [Iranian] year. The aquaculture output also improved by 43% from 371,000 tons to 530,000 tons during the period,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Noting that Iran has always registered a surplus when it comes to foreign trade of seafood, the official said, “Fishery exports exceeded $500 million in the year ending March 2021 from $304 million in the year ending March 2014 and the country’s trade surplus in this sector improved from $200 million to over $450 million.”
Khounmirzaei noted that caviar production increased from 1 ton to 12 tons during the period.
“The import of eyed trout eggs decreased from 360 million eggs in 2013-14 to 120 million eggs in 2020-21, i.e., a decline of 67%,” he said.
The official estimates that this year, 700,000 tons of seafood will be harvested from seas and 800,000 tons more will be produced in aqua farms.
Iran is a major seafood producer in the region with trout, caviar and shrimp being the main exported products.
Over the past few years, Iran has set up cages for fish farming in the sea as well as water bodies behind dams, and is expanding the business as part of its plans to increase seafood production.
Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province in southwest Iran accounts for 40% of Iran's seafood production.
The province has the capacity to produce 240,000 tons of seafood per year.
Middle East's biggest seafood production unit is active in the industrial city of Shahr-e Kord.
Located 97 km southwest of the central Iranian province of Isfahan, Shahr-e Kord ranks first in terms of its capacity to breed salmon.
