Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

In Azerbaijan, in 2014, the Government amend- ed the old law on fisheries to introduce new aquaculture provisions, as well as to ensure the sustainable development of fish farming in rural areas, create new sources of income and improve the well-being and health of local coastal popu- lations. According to data for 2014 (Iran, Statistical Cen- tre of Iran 2002–2014), the total catch of fish de- creased by 15 per cent in Iran and by more than 60 per cent in Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan, Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakh- stan Statistics Committee 2009–2018). In the same period, the total catch increased by 11 per cent in the Russian Federation, which was the only country that reported higher volumes. Iran is one of the largest exporters of caviar and sturgeon meat in the world (Harlioglu and Far- hadi 2017). However, fisheries only contribute 0.4 per cent to GDP, while agriculture contrib- utes 4 per cent. In 2010, the industry employed 189,900 people, of which 35,900 were involved in fish farming. In 2000 there were 14,558 workers in this industry in the Caspian region of Iran, though this number has been declining (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na- tions [FAO] 2016). In Kazakhstan, the total catch of commercial fish by fish farms in the 1990s was about 9,800 tons. From 1990 to 2005, commodity fish farming in Kazakhstan stagnated, with production in the following years amounting to around 150 tons (Kazakhstan, Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Statistics Committee 2009–2018).

3.2.2. Fisheries

Fisheries contribute to the development of the economies of all Caspian littoral states, pro- viding employment for local populations and a high-protein food source. In the agricultural sec- tor in Iran, for example, fishing is one of the most important activities, providing food and employ- ment opportunities, and creating high potential for export earnings (United Nations Environ- ment Programme [UNEP] and GRID-Arendal 2014). The industry officially employs about 2,200– 2,400 people in Azerbaijan (excluding those in- volved in processing), who mostly work near the sea or other water bodies (Salmonov et al. 2013). The Russian Federation was the first of the Cas- pian littoral states to introduce and initiate a ban on sturgeon fishing (in 2000 for beluga and in 2005 for all anadromous Caspian sturgeons). At present, all the Caspian littoral states have adopt- ed the ban on commercial sturgeon fishing. Iran and the Russian Federation both have ac- cess to other seas (and in the case of the Russian Federation, an ocean), which provides them with more fishing opportunities than Azerbai- jan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, as these are surrounded by land. These countries therefore have no alternative but to stabilize their fish con- sumption or increase their seafood consumption through fish farms. In 2009, only 11.3 per cent of Iranian production occurred in the Caspian Sea, with the remaining 87.7 per cent taking place the Persian and Oman Gulfs in the south (Strukova et al. 2016).

Table 3.1: Number of fish farms (aquaculture) and their activity in 2011–2016 in Azerbaijan

Indicators

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Number of physical and legal persons engaged in pond and lake fishery (people)

106

99

92

85

161

108

Total area of pond and lake surface(ha)

1,381

1,435

1,283

1,109

1,847

1,093

Amount of grown fish product (tons)

404

376

387

370

603

645

Source: National Contribution.

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