TEHRAN- Iran has exported 62,500 tons of fisheries in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22), according to an official with Iran Fisheries Organization (IFO).

Isa Golshahi, IFO’s director-general for quality improvement, processing, and market development, said that live, frozen and processed fisheries and aquatic products have been exported to different countries in the first six months of this year.

More than 27,000 tons of fish, 201 tons of ornamental fish, 8,900 tons of shrimp, 6,500 tons of canned fish, 1.1 tons of farmed caviar based on the country's customs statistics, and two tons of trout baby were exported from the country, the official stated.

He approved the export of about four tons of farmed caviar in the past Iranian calendar year and said: "Last year, in addition to the export of 2.282 tons of farmed caviar, according to Iran’s customs statistics, 1.602 tons of farmed caviar was exited from the country with passengers in 30-gram, 50-gram, and 100-gram cans, and there were also some caviar sales in the free shops inside the airport (before the gate) and the total of these statistics shows the sales and export of about four tons of caviar from the country.”

As Golshahi has previously said in terms of accessing some new target markets in the field of fisheries, cooperation with the relevant organizations such as chambers of commerce, Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the non-governmental sector to open new markets in the international arena is one the agenda of the IFO’s plans.

Over the past two years, the efforts of the Aquatics’ Production and Trade Union of Iran, and the non-governmental sector have led to the addition of markets in countries such as Oman and Malaysia to Iran's target export markets in this field, he further noted.

Fishery production has increased noticeably in Iran in recent years.

Enjoying high quality, Iran’s fishery products were sold easily in the export markets, and also some new export destinations welcomed these products in the past two years; as new markets including China, South Korea, and the Eurasian Union nations opened up for Iranian fishery products.

MA/MA