Call for Ban on Tilapia Imports

In a bid to support domestic fish farmers, Chairman of Iran Fisheries Organization Hassan Salehi has sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture calling for a ban on imports of Tilapia for three years, ILNA reported.

The rampant import of tilapia in recent years is said to have harmed domestic fish producers.

Tilapia is imported from East Asian countries, mainly China, ILNA reported.

Iran imported about 6,900 tons of tilapia from China in the first half of 2017, making the country the fourth biggest importer of the fish from the East Asian country, Young Journalists Club reported, citing figures released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Iran accounted for 3.6% of China’s tilapia exports during the six-month period.