No Alien Allowed to Fish in Iran Waters
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
TEHRAN – Head of Iran’s Fisheries Organization yesterday refuted allegations about the Chinese and foreign fishermen’s presence in Iran’s waters, emphasizing that no foreigner is allowed to fish in Iran’s waters.
Speaking at a presser yesterday, Nabiollah Khoon Mirzaei said that the license for fishing is issued for legal and real Iranian persons and it is not issued for any foreign fisherman. He added that there is nothing under the name of the activities of Chinese fisherman in Iran and if someone has a report on Chinese fishermen’s activities in Iran, the organization casts doubt because Iran’s naval forces will not let any trespass or exploitation of fishing areas happen by the foreign fishing fleets.
He added that it is possible some foreign fishermen are employed by Iranian fishing boats but they are their employees.
Khoon Mirzaei added that all fishing fleets either before or after their arrival into the sea and fishing areas are checked by the protection guard.
On the trawling in the country, he said all fish trawlings are done by Iranian fishers or boats but the organization sets some restrictions in some months of the year for fishing some certain species of fish. He reiterated that trawling has its own regulation and devices, and equipment of fishermen should only exceed the depth of at least 200 meters (roughly 656 feet) or else it will be an offence.
He added that currently 134 trawlers are active for trawling and the amount of fish trawling reaches 165,000 tons.
Khoon Mirzaei noted that fishery production last year was ahead of the schedule, adding that the target set for production was 1.25m tons in the year but the production was 1.28m tons.
The official added that the fishery consumption per capita improved last year from 13 kilograms to 13.3 kilograms and fishery trade balance was positive.
On the murdersof two Iranian fishermen by the UAE forces, he said two Iranian fishermen were killed by the Emirati forces, reiterating that he had asked Iran’s foreign Ministry to take legal action.
