Mazandaran Bony Fish Harvest Down 30%

A total of 900 tons of bony fish were caught in the Iranian territorial waters of the Caspian Sea in Mazandaran Province from the beginning of the fishing season on Oct. 6 to Jan. 20, which shows a 30% decline compared with the similar period of the year before. 
“Bad weather conditions and colder than usual water temperatures were the only reason for the decline in harvest. To get away from cold waters, the fish migrated away from the shore to deeper waters and out of the reach of fishermen’s nets,” Qasem Karimzadeh, a local official, was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Noting that increased fish prices compensated for the fall in harvest, the official said this year’s yields are worth around 760 billion rials ($2.7 million), showing a 103% hike compared with last year.
The mullet, Caspian Kutum and common carp accounted for 39%%, 36% and 25% of the total harvest respectively, he added.
Last year, Mazandaran’s fishermen harvested 7,000 tons of bony fish, which showed a close to 200% increase compared with the previous year.