TEHRAN Managing Director of Iranian Fisheries Organization, Khodakaram Jalali told reporters here yesterday that export value of caviar and sea creatures in the nine months to December 21 amounted to $40.8 million, showing a rise of 11 and 14 percent in terms of value and weight respectively, compared to the same period last year. Jalali noted that export of caviar has been on decline in recent years due to a policy to lessen sturgeon fishing as to save the species from possible extinction.

The official said that the exports comprised 111 tons of caviar, worth $29.5 million, 3,010 tons of fish, worth $3.2 million, and 2,643 tons of shrimp, worth $8.2 million. He said that export of caviar earned the country $34 million last year and that of fish and shrimp rose to $16 million last year from $ eight million in 1989. Jalali further noted that the Rls.240 billion was invested in fisheries sector last year.

This compared to Rls. 60 billion invested in 1989, he added. Under the note 48 of next year's budget bill, said jalali, Rls.300 billion would be spent on fish farming and establishment of fishing ports. Iranian Fisheries Organization also plans to attract foreign investment in the field of fish farming, he added. He said the country's fishing output would reach one million tons by the end of the Third Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2000-2004) from 400,000 tons now.

He added that fish export is expected is earn the country $400 million and create 150,000 job opportunities in the third five-year plan. He noted that per capita fish consumption is expected to increase to 10 kg in the third plan from five kg at present. As for his organization's long-term plans, Jalali expressed hope that annual fisheries output would reach as high as two million tons and their export value would reach three billion dollars by the end of the third plan, creating 700,000 employment opportunities.

The Iranian Fisheries Organization is affiliated to the Ministry of Construction Jihad.