Status of Fishing in Southern Part of the Caspian Sea Bahram Falahatkar Fisheries Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Guilan, Iran Global Conference on Inland Fisheries; Rome, Italy, January 26-28
Introduction of the Caspian Sea Total area: 393 000 km 2 Perimeter: 6379 km Long: 1200 km; width: 310 km Russia Current: counter clockwise North Five neighbor countries Kazakhstan Depth: - North: 5 m - Middle: 190 m - South: 325 m Azerbaijan Middle South Turkmenistan 130 rivers Iran 2
Importance of the Caspian Sea Political Hotpoint area Oil source Fisheries activities Ecotourism Biodiversity 3
Biodiversity in the Caspian Sea Source: Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis for the Caspian Sea, Caspian Environment Program, 2002. In southern part of the Caspian Sea: 335 phytoplanktons 67 zooplanktons; 48 macrobenthoses (Fazli et al., 2010) 79 fishes from 18 families (Abdoli and Naderi, 2009). 4
Important fishes of the Caspian Sea Salmo trutta caspius Acipenser persicus Liza aurata Rutilus frisii Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Acipenser nudiventris Cyprinus carpio Abramis brama 5
Fishing regions The five Iranian fisheries zones of the southern coastline of the Caspian Sea. 6
Fishing methods Beach Seine Beach Seine Conical lift-net Gill nets 7
Important commercial fishes of the Caspian Sea Anchovy; Clupeonella engraulliformis Big eye; C. grimmi Common Kilka; C. cultriventris 8
Metric tones Metric tones Fisheries status in Iran 50000 45000 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 Sturgeon Kilka Bony fishes Annual changes in catch (mt) of sturgeon, Kilka and bony fishes in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea (2002-2013) From: Iran Fisheries Organization 15000 10000 5000 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year 700 600 500 Annual changes in catch (mt) of sturgeon species in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea (2002-2013) From: Falahatkar and Nasrollahzadeh (2011) and Iran Fisheries Organization 400 300 200 100 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year 9
Main caught species: Caspian Kutum, Rutilus frisii Mullets, Liza aurata and Liza saliens
No. of fishermen 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Fisheries status in Iran 250 200 150 100 No. of Beach seines No. Kilka boats Number of beach seines and Kilka boats in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea during 2002-2013 (From: Iran Fisheries Organization) 50 0 Year Number of employee (fishermen) in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea during 2002-2013 (From: Iran Fisheries Organization) 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year 11
Fingerlings (X 1000) Fisheries status in Iran 600000 500000 400000 300000 200000 100000 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Fingerlings production by Iranian hatcheries for stocks rehabilitation during 2002-2013 12
Fisheries status in Iran The trends of catching, fingerling releasing and sea water level in southern part of the Caspian Sea. 13
Fisheries status in Iran Annual changes in catch (mt) of three species of Kilka in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea (Fazli and Taghavi Jelodar, 2013). 14
Problems Pollution Mnemiopsis leydyi Habitat destruction Poaching and over-fishing 15
Problems M. leidyi invasion Annual changes in catch composition (%) of three species of Kilka in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea. 16
Problems 1) Urban solid waste; 2) Coastal tourism; 3) Hazardous waste; 4) Fishing; 5) Shipping; and 6) Oil and gas exploitation From: Caspian Environment Program (2009) 17
Problems Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) TPH ranged 29-1820 µg g -1 in Azerbaijan, where generally the highest amounts were found. TPH levels in the most contaminated sediments (south of Baku Bay) are relatively high compared with other global locations. Sediments were not available for Turkmenistan. Source: CEP, 2005 18
Problems Water leaving radiation and chlorophyll-a concentration maps for September 1, 2005 (area ~ 20 000 km 2 ) 19
IUCN categories 6 2 6 Least Concern 8 36 Conservation Dependent Data Deficient Near Treatened 21 Endangered Critically Endangered 21 Vulnarable IUCN categories of fishes in south part of the Caspian Sea. 20
Beluga sturgeon Weight: 1800 kg; TL: 8 m; Chaboksar, Iran (1966)
Conclusion - Protect the rivers as reproduction beds of anadromous fishes. - Optimize the net size based on target species for decreasing by-catch. Promote the development and use of selective fishing gears and practice that minimize waste in the catch of target species and minimize by-catch of non-target species. - Restore the populations of fish species at levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield as qualified by relevant environmental and economical factors. - Cooperation of the Caspian Sea countries region for protection and rehabilitation of aquatics. 22
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