Iran exported 143,970 tons of seafood worth $528 million during the last Iranian year (March 2018-19), according to director general of Seafood Quality Improvement, Processing and market Promotion Department affiliated to Iran Fisheries Organization.
“Close to 43,000 tons out of the total exports pertained to cutlass fish and squids. Trout exports reached 10,000 to 11,000 tons last year,” Isa Golshahi was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
"We have been harvesting small, sardine-like fish as well as anchovy from our southern waters, which are dried or used to make fish powder. These have brought us lucrative markets in Sri Lanka, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia and other Far East countries.”
The official noted that seafood imports over the same period stood at around $70 million, which shows a significant trade surplus in the sector.
“Seafood exports are estimated to reach around $600 million by the end of the current Iranian year [March 19, 2020],” he said.
Iran’s per capita seafood consumption currently stands at 12.1 kilograms per year.
According to Golshahi, IFO aims to bring this figure close to the annual global average of 20 kilograms.
The official explained that 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, adding that this has increased domestic demand for fish powder, part of which is supplied locally.
A total of 6,665 tons of fish feed worth about $9.9 million were imported from 14 countries during the last Iranian year (March 2018-19), data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Custom Administration show.
China, Vietnam, the UAE, France, Thailand, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey and the US were main exporters of fish feed to Iran during the period, Mizan Online reported.
FAO to Support Marine Cage Culture Development
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Iran Fisheries Organization recently announced a new project that would strengthen national capacity for sustainable management and development of marine cage culture–the farming of fish inside net-cages in the marine environment.
The two sides signed an agreement to that effect on Dec. 17.
Funded by FAO, this two-year Technical Cooperation Program will boost Iran’s marine cage culture capacities and support the government’s efforts to achieve its long-term goal of 900,000 tons of fish product annually from marine cage culture, Fars News Agency reported.
“By allocating $292,000 to this project, FAO assists the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to sustainably increase the production from marine cage culture in the country,” said FAO’s representative to Iran, Gerold Boedeker, at the signing ceremony.
He added that “during the implementation phase of the project, farm managers and extension practitioners will be trained”.
Iran ranks second in the Middle East and 17th in the world’s total aquaculture production. Aquaculture production in Iran comprises roughly 40% of total fish production and 10% of agricultural exports of the country, which accounts for about 1% of overall national GDP.
However, due to climate change, a sharp decline in precipitation in recent years and shortage of available freshwater, marine cage culture is a key priority for the government of Iran to supply animal proteins, healthy food and alternative livelihood.
Yet, the country is facing some challenges in cage culture development, such as insufficient know-how, inadequate up-to-date and appropriate technologies and equipment; general shortage of relevant expertise within cage culture sector and government institutions; improper marketing plan for cage culture production and inadequate supply of fingerlings of cultured species.
Mentioning the low production cost from cage culture in supplying animal protein at the signing ceremony, Director of Aquaculture Development Department of Iran Fisheries Organization Hossein Ali Abdolhay asserts that this joint project is an integral part of Resistance Economy.
The concept of Resistance Economy was first proposed by the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in response to sanctions against Iran.
