UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

No. TA 2723

	R E P O R T to the GOVERNMENT OF IRAN on A PROGRAMME FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INLAND FISHERIES OF IRAN
	CONTENTS

Based on the work

of

Eugene W. Surber
FAO/TA Inland Fishery Biologist

FAO/UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE) REPORTS ON FISHERIES

This document is Report No. TA 2723 in the series of FAO reports produced under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Since 1 January 1966, reports produced under the former Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (EPTA) have appeared in the UNDP (TA) series. The numbering of reports in the UNDP (TA) series is unbroken and follows consecutively the numbering of the former EPTA series.

Since 1 January, 1962, those reports which concerned FAO technical assistance in fisheries have been numbered consecutively in a subseries within the general series.

The present report is the one-hundred-seventy-second report in the fishery subseries: FAO Fish. UNDP(TA) Rep., FRi/UNDP(TA)172.

For bibliographic purposes, this document may be cited as follows:

FAO. 1969 Report to the Government of Iran on a programme for the development of the inland fisheries of Iran. Based on the work of Eugene W. Surber, FAO/TA Inland Fishery Biologist. Rep. FAO/UNDP(TA), (2723):64 p.

ABSTRACT

Animal protein deficiencies are wide-spread in both rural and urban Iran. One means of increasing low-cost protein foods is the production of fish. The Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf are at present the main sources of fresh fish, but the catches of such favoured inland fishes as the whitefish and souf have declined to very low levels.

Development of inland fisheries can provide much of the needed protein. To do this there is need to investigate the possibilities of fish culture and management of inland waters. Trained personnel are needed and a fish culture training and research centre could provide this personnel.

In this project, a search was made in the Caspian plains, the Tabriz, Isfahan, and Shiraz areas for sites where fish cultural stations, village fish ponds, and large community ponds could be built. The report contains descriptions of these sites, and the results of water analyses of their water supplies.

The Iranian trout and Caspian “salmon” programme is reviewed and suggestions made for its development.

At present, there are no rice fields in either the Caspian plains or the Persian Gulf area used for the protection of fish. In the Caspian area, only one crop of rice is grown annually and after the harvest in late August and early September the fields remain idle until the spring plantings areas were selected near Amol where demonstration rice fields culture could be undertaken.

Some information is presented on the investigations of inland, fresh waters and water quality control.

The need for a single Department of Fisheries to obtain a coordinated programme for the development and management of the inland waters of Iran is indicated.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FAO is greatly indebted to the many people who collaborated with the expert during his assignment and who offered helpful advice and assistance, and especially to H.E. Dr. Ahmad Ali Ahmadi, Under Secretary for Parliamentary and Technical Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources for his splendid cooperation and guidance in carrying out the initial phase of this project.

Mr. Zia Ziai, graduate of the school of Animal Husbandry, Teheran University Agricultural College, Karaj, served as counterpart and interpreter. His help in obtaining local information and making arrangements on field trips was greatly appreciated.

Dr. T.J. Job, Regional Fishery Officer at the FAO Regional Office for the Near East in Cairo, and Mr. Bjorn Andersskog, FAO/TA Expert Fisheries Adviser, Northern Fisheries, furnished the expert with information on current and earlier fisheries work in Iran. Mr. Andersskog was also helpful in many personal ways.

Eng. Esfandiar Golesorkhi, Director of the Western Division of Northern Fisheries, Bandar Pahlavi, provided information on surveys of Iranian streams and aided the expert in other ways. Other persons at the Northern Fisheries “Sherkat Shillat” who aided the expert were Dr. Hossein Hoseinzadeh, Chief, Fish Science and Industry Investigation Institute, Eng. F. Farid-Pak (Ichthyologist), Dr. Azari, Mr. Hossein Emadi (in charge of the fish cultural work, Bandar Pahlavi), Mr. Shahangir and Mrs. Moghadam.

The following Directors General of Forests provided information, transportation or guides in their respective areas:

Director General Kheradpeer, Chalus (Guilan Province)
Director General Etezadi, Tabriz (Azarbaijan)
Director General Badri, Sari (Mazandaran)
Director General Kousheshy, Isfahan (Isfahan)
Director General Hamadani, Shiraz (Fars)

Office and laboratories of the Ministry of Water and Power provided information on dams or irrigation canals in the above areas.

The following persons are due special thanks for their help: Dr. Said Mohamad Ali Madani, Mrs. Eng. Saideh Eshkevarie (Water and Soils Laboratory), and Eng. Mohamad Ahmad (Hydrology Laboratory) Rasht (Guiland Province); Eng. Kafi, Tabriz; Eng. Choubineh (Irrigation), Eng. Shakib (Construction) and Mr. Saboury, Isfahan; Eng. Chammas and Rahman Azarpalucend, Shah Abbas dam; Eng. Chakamian (Irrigation) and Mr. Ahmad Aschoor Pour and his wife (Water Laboratory), Shiraz; Eng. S. Bijan, Fars Regional Water Authority, Joseph R. Sidor, Assistant Resident Engineer, Darioush Dam, Isfahan.

The efforts of the Teheran Water Board and particularly of Eng. Fotouhy, Mr. Hosseinian, and Mr. Nelgati in furnishing standardized chemical solutions for water analyses are appreciated.

Other persons in the Ministry of Natural Resources who aided the expert were: H.E. Eng. Jafar Mohsenzadeh, Teheran Headquarters who arranged for the reproduction of maps; Mr. Moghareii (Purchasing Department) for securing glassware and chemicals; Mohammad Ali Asadi who served as guide in the Tabriz area; Abdol Rahim Dabagh, guide in the Shiraz and Darab areas; Mr. Cosari for a visit to the Forage Station Bakhfarge; Mr. C. Mavaddat who aided by securing field equipment.

Dr. Eskandar Firouz, Director of the Game and Fish Department, provided a guide to the Shahanshah's Game Preserve on the Jajerud River to help locate a site for a pond fish cultural station and training centre near Teheran. He also provided information on the organization of the Department and its activities.

The cooperation of Dr. Fuat Adali, the FAO Representative in Iran, and Mr. E.J. Collin, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Iran for making arrangements for contacts with officials in the Ministry of Natural Resources and with other Iranian Government officials is appreciated.

Thanks are given Mrs. Victoria Gourjian, Translator/Typist of the Mission Office, FAO, for assistance in typing material for this report as well as a manuscript on “Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Fish and other Aquatic Life”, now being translated into Farsi by Mrs. Lili Mostafavi of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 1969

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2. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT

3. OBSERVATIONS, RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

3.1 Fish Culture

3.11 Need for a Fish Culture Programme

3.12 Fish Culture Training and Research Centre

3.13 Selection of Sites for Fish Cultural Establishment

3.131 Fish cultural station

3.132 Village fish ponds and public fishing lakes