TEHRAN - Mohammad Mojabi, CEO of Agricultural Services Holding Company, has said all three categories of economically important fish in the Caspian Sea, including bony fish, kilka fish, and cartilaginous fish, are at risk of extinction

“Due to years of experience in the Environmental Protection Organization and the Iranian Fisheries Organization, I have a special interest in the issues of the Caspian Sea, the world's largest lake, which is facing pollution crises and climate change. “

This has led to the emergence of the greatest threats to the valuable ecosystem's living organisms, so that all three categories of economically important fish in this lake, including bony fish, kilka fish, and cartilaginous fish, are at risk of extinction, he said on July 18 to mark the Caviar Day.

Among the bony fish, valuable species such as Caspian trout, freshwater bream, and Perch are not accessible, and if the breeding and release of Kuttum and Grey mullet were not done, the cooperatives would remain unproductive, he added.

On the other hand, the entry of Warty comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) into the ecosystem has seriously affected three species of kilka fish (ordinary, large-eyed, and anchovy) and put the valuable living fossil at risk of extinction to the point that all its species are in serious danger, and if effective measures are not taken for breeding and releasing sturgeon fry, the situation would become much more critical.

The entry of caviar fish breeders opens a window of hope for improving the situation. This year, during the fishing season, it is necessary that the bycatch caviar fish, caught in traps, be transported to breeding and release centers with the best possible facilities, including caviar fish ambulances, and be operated on with the latest technology of micro-cesarean section to prevent fish mortality.

This important measure is fully achievable with the presence of fisheries science experts. The company plans to jointly invest with the private sector in the port of Kiashahr, northern Gilan province, which has a history of more than a century and a half of activity in the caviar industry.

The company plans to establish a national caviar museum and finally launch a caviar exchange at a global level to preserve the branding of caviar.

Additionally, the specialized holding company plans to utilize its fishing grounds in collaboration with the private sector for breeding caviar fish and rearing immature fish.

MG