Studies by researchers in the field of fisheries show that some of the economic species of the Caspian Sea, such as duck, fish and sea elephant, are caught once or twice a year, and if this trend continues, in the coming years, these valuable species will disappear from this watershed, and these researchers Emphasizing that the extinction of the Caspian sturgeon is one of the “severely endangered” species and is on par with the extinction of the Iranian cheetah, but since the damage to aquatic habitats is not as visible as the destruction of the environment, it is necessary to create a living aquatic bank, compared to Restoration of these valuable water species of the country took place.
Dr. Mohammad Pourkazmi, a member of the scientific faculty of the Fisheries Science Research Institute of the country, in an interview with ISNA. Stating that aquatics are divided into 3 areas in terms of geographical areas: “Caspian Sea”, “Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman” and “Aquatic in internal watersheds”, he said: “We have about 122 species and subspecies in the Caspian Sea, which are These 25 economic species of the sea are in the catch basket of fishermen.
He mentioned 5 species of sturgeon, white fish, carp, 3 species of kilka, perch and duck fish among the economic species that are in the fishermen’s catch basket, and stated: Among the catch species, there are species that are unfortunately lost due to illegal fishing. Permits and lack of proper management, over-harvesting and smuggling, their reserves are being destroyed. The most important example is sturgeon stocks.
Pourkazmi pointed out: In the past, in 1985, about 3,000 tons of caviar were extracted from the entire Caspian Sea, of which 2,700 tons were harvested by Russia and 300 tons by Iran, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the number of harvesting countries decreased. From these reserves, it became 5 countries; Because the integrated fisheries management in the former Soviet Union fell apart and so many fishermen caught so much that now the sturgeon trade is under control.
A member of the scientific staff of the Fisheries Research Institute of the country reminded: since 2011, the fishing of this aquatic species in the Caspian Sea has been prohibited and no sturgeon is exported from the Caspian Sea, while some species of the Caspian Sea, such as elephant fish, which were caught in the basket in the past They were supposed to be, now one to two are caught a year.
Emphasizing that all species of Caspian sturgeon are “severely endangered” species, he added: This stage means that if they are not protected, these species will disappear. If one to two species are caught every year, if not protected, two to three will be caught every 2 to 3 years and then every 5 years, and after that these valuable species will become extinct.
Pourkazmi added: It is true that sturgeon breeding is currently under protection due to the efforts of the fisheries of the countries in the region, but it should be noted that the genetic reserves follow their own rules.
The extinction of sturgeon is the same as the extinction of the Iranian cheetah
Pointing to the status of Caspian sea salmon, Pourkazmi said: Caspian sea bass, duck fish, and Caspian carp are in a state of tension in some areas. Water reserves, unlike other natural resources such as forests, if it is attacked, its destroyed part can be seen, while harvesting is not visible, and it is always assumed that water reserves are always at our disposal.
He added: Since the water reserves cannot be seen, unfortunately, it suffers the most severe damages.
Pourkazmi continued: In addition to excessive fishing, aquatic environments are witnessing the indiscriminate entry of all kinds of pollutants, destruction of habitats, lack of productive resources to restore reserves, and an increase in fish fry in the sea, and we need culture building, especially for coastal residents. Because they have to accept that if a species is going extinct, prevent its fishing.
Emphasizing that the extinction of the sturgeon is the same as the extinction of the Iranian cheetah, he said: If the extinction of the Iranian cheetah is at a severe level, then the sturgeon is also at this level, as a result of both the government and scientific and research centers and interested parties. Environment, in the form of popular organizations, by implementing cultural programs, we need to prevent the extinction of the species that has been at our disposal for more than 220 million years as a scientific and historical heritage, so that we can pass it on to future generations.
The state of aquatic life in the south of the country
Pourkazmi spoke about the state of the country’s southern water reservoirs and stated: According to the latest studies conducted in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, there are about a thousand species and subspecies in this watershed; Some economic species of this basin are declining due to excessive pressure.
He added: Issuance of some local licenses is too much and harvesting in these waters occurs more than the production capacity.
Aquatics of inland waters
A member of the scientific staff of the Fisheries Science Research Institute added: On the other hand, the aquatic animals of the inland water basin are not in a good condition due to periods of drought, climate change, use of water in dams, prioritization of water for agricultural activities and non-compliance with water rights for rivers.
He said: This situation has caused Iran’s aquatic genetic resources to be severely damaged, especially for native species, and wherever we check, it shows that this situation is getting worse year by year.
Global solutions to solve internal challenges
Pourkazmi added: The solutions that are adopted in the world to preserve genetic resources are, in the first stage, the preservation of habitats, which unfortunately, due to the lack of water, it is not possible to preserve these habitats, and the second solution is to establish gene banks and gene reserves as a living bank of aquatic animals. In these banks, sperm, eggs, fins and DNA of aquatic animals are kept in order to restore endangered species when more suitable conditions are created.
In response to the question whether genetic samples of endangered aquatic species have not been collected in the country, he said: These species are not 100% extinct, and now these species are caught to a limited extent, and their reserves are still limited. Not maintained.
Referring to the species of Lake Urmia, this researcher of the fisheries field said: We had only one aquatic species of Artemia in this watershed. This aquatic species lays eggs when it is exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions such as high salinity and high temperature, and its cysts can be regenerated in the next year, and there is no problem in restoring and reviving this species, but these conditions do not exist for aquatic animals.
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