Fishermen's Nets Spread Wide; Fishing Economy Depends on the Sea's Generosity

SARI – With the start of the bony fish season in Mazandaran, 4,200 fishermen are awaiting the Caspian Sea's bounty and a revival of their livelihoods.

Ambassador Arjan of the Group of Provinces: The coast of Mazandaran has once again taken on a fishing color, boats and equipment are ready, nets are ready to enter the water, and fishermen who have been waiting for the start of the new season for months have returned to the sea, a return that for thousands of Mazandaran coastal families, means the beginning of a new period of efforts to earn a living and hope for blessed days.

The bony fish fishing season in Mazandaran started on October 15, 1405 and will continue until April 20, 1406; A period of about six months that links the life and economy of nearly 4,200 fishermen of the province with the status of the Caspian Sea reserves, weather conditions and the availability of different types of fish.

In the meantime, the forecast of a 10% increase in catch compared to last year, the release of tens of millions of baby fish, and efforts to solve the insurance and job problems of fishermen are among the issues that have been taken into consideration at the beginning of the new season.

From agriculture to fishing; Six months of waiting to return to the sea

For many Mazandarani fishermen, the year is defined by two different working seasons; A part of the year is spent in the agricultural fields, and with the arrival of autumn, the activity resumes at sea. This seasonal cycle, in addition to being a way to provide income for fishing families, shows the dependence of the livelihood of a part of the coastal community on natural conditions and the timing of agricultural and fishing activities.

On the coast of Sari, the return of fishermen to the sea does not only mean that the nets are widened again; Rather, it is the beginning of a period of work and waiting, the outcome of which depends on the generosity of the sea and fishing conditions. Fishermen start the new season while the amount of daily harvest, the number of times netted and the species caught change according to the state of the sea and each day can be different from the next.

Mohammadi, one of Mazandarani fishermen, in a conversation with Mehr reporter, referring to his and other fishermen's working conditions, said: We spend the first six months of the year in agriculture and the other six months are waiting for the fishing season.

He added: Our work is in this way that we work in agricultural lands for a part of the year, and with the beginning of the fishing season in October, we return to the sea and resume fishing, and the beginning of this season is very important for us, because an important part of our income depends on this period, and we must be able to provide for the family's living expenses in the months when fishing is possible.

Referring to the connection between the fishing time and the biological conditions of the sea, he added: the beginning of fishing is determined according to the biological conditions of the sea and the breeding status of fish. As fishermen, we must operate in a certain period so that it is possible to harvest the stocks and provide the necessary opportunity to rebuild the fish population and continue their natural life cycle.

This fisherman stated: The sea is our source of work and income, and if its reserves are not preserved, both fishermen and families related to this profession will face more problems in the coming years.

This Mazandarani fisherman also stated about the amount of daily activity and the factors affecting the amount of catch: when the sea conditions are favorable, each fisherman can do about five to six fishing operations per day, of course, the amount of product that is obtained at the end of the day depends on the sea conditions, the number of nets that are widened and the type of fish that are present in the area. Therefore, it is not possible to consider a certain amount of catch for all days of the season.

Referring to the bony fish species that are caught this season, Mohammadi continued: mullet, carp and white fish are among the species that fishermen hunt for in this season. The amount and variety of catch depends on the state of the sea and the presence of fish, and with the change of conditions, the composition of the caught species also changes. Therefore, all we hope is that the sea will be favorable, the stocks will be in good condition and we will be able to pass the fishing season with a better result.

The release of nearly 86 million baby fish in the Caspian Sea

Besides the daily activities of fishermen, the restoration of aquatic resources is one of the important issues in the management of Caspian Sea fisheries. The continuation of harvesting from marine resources, regardless of the state of the fish population and their opportunity to reproduce, can challenge the natural capacity of the sea; Therefore, reproduction and release of economic juveniles, along with the participation of the fishing community, is part of the important measures to preserve stocks and support the future of this profession.

The importance of these measures becomes more apparent when we know that the income of fishermen depends on the existence of suitable reserves and the possibility of catching economic species. Strengthening the population of white fish, carp and sturgeon species, in addition to the environmental importance, is related to the future of Pereh cooperatives and the livelihood of thousands of households; An issue that highlights the necessity of continuing reserve restoration programs and evaluating their results.

Khashayar Navaei, the CEO of Mazandaran Feather Union, in a conversation with Mehr reporter, referring to the measures taken to strengthen the reserves of the Caspian Sea, said: This year, with the efforts made in the field of restoring the reserves, we released nearly 70 million white fish fry, 15 million carp fry and 1.7 million sturgeon fry into the sea.

He said: These measures are done with the aim of strengthening aquatic resources and we hope that along with the activities of fishermen, it will help to preserve the population of economic species and provide more suitable conditions for fishing in the coming years.

The release of this number of baby fish reaches a total of about 86 million and 700 thousand pieces; Statistics that show the importance of stock reproduction and restoration programs in the management of Caspian sea water resources. However, the effectiveness of these measures depends on several factors, including the biological conditions of the sea, the survival of released juveniles, and the continuation of conservation programs, and its results should be evaluated in the long term.

Predicting a 10% increase in bony fish catch

The new fishing season has started while last year's performance provides an image of the economic capacity of this activity in the Caspian Sea. The amount of bony fish harvest and the Rial value of the product, in addition to showing the volume of fishermen's activity, indicate the position of this sector in the economy of coastal areas; A sector whose income is directly related to the natural conditions of the sea and the level of access to different aquatic species.

With the beginning of the new season, it becomes more important to pay attention to the state of stocks, weather conditions and seasonal changes in the composition of caught species. The cooling of the weather usually affects the presence and amount of catch of different species, and among them, white fish is considered one of the important species of the upcoming season. The estimation of the amount of catch also depends on a set of factors, and the realization of the predictions will be determined during the season.

Hassan Habibi, the Deputy Minister of Fishing and Fisheries of Iran, explaining last year's catch statistics, said: Last year, 2 thousand 37 tons of bony fish were caught from the Caspian Sea, the value of which amounted to 1,500 billion Rials.

He continued:: This statistic shows that the activity of fishermen, in addition to its role in providing marine products, is also important from an economic point of view, and an important part of the financial turnover of coastal areas depends on the activity of this community.

Referring to the estimates made for the current season, he added: Considering the existing conditions and the measures taken to restore the reserves, our prediction is that this year the amount of catch will increase by 10% compared to last year. Of course, the final amount of catch depends on the state of the sea, weather conditions and the presence of different species of fish, and the actual performance of fishermen will be determined during the season.

Iran's Deputy Director of Fishing and Fishing continued about the change in the composition of the catch with the cooling of the air: With the decrease in the air temperature, white fish will become the dominant species in catching bony fish. These seasonal changes are important in the type of fish caught, and fishermen follow their activities according to sea conditions and available species. The bony fish fishing season has started on October 15 and will continue until April 20, 1406; Therefore, during this period, the weather condition and aquatic resources will be factors affecting the amount of harvest.

51 active cooperatives and 4200 fishermen in Mazandaran

Fishing in Mazandaran is an activity beyond daily presence in the sea and spreading nets; A network of cooperatives, working forces and families related to this profession are behind it, whose income depends on the result of the catch and the continuation of the activity during the season. In such a situation, maintaining employment and improving the living conditions of fishermen, along with plans to increase production and restore stocks, is one of the important issues of managing this sector.

Nima Hosseinzadeh, Director General of Mazandaran Fisheries, in an interview with Mehr reporter, referring to the beginning of bonefish fishing season on October 15, stated: This year, the activity of fishermen in the province has started from this date, and we hope that we will have a better catch compared to previous years due to the programs carried out in the field of restoring stocks.

He said: We have 54 Pereh cooperatives in the province, 51 of which are active, and about 4,200 people are engaged in fishing activities in these cooperatives. This population constitutes an important part of the society active in the field of bony fish fishing, and their activity status is economically and socially important.

Referring to the problems faced by the fishing community, he added: one of the important issues is the hard and harmful nature of the fishing job and related issues. Also, adjusting the fishing community and reducing the level of insurance payments are other problems that fishermen are facing. All three issues are being followed up seriously and we hope that by continuing these follow-ups, the problems will be resolved.

He continued: Fishermen work in conditions where their income depends on the amount of catch and the natural state of the sea; Therefore, job support and insurance can play a role in reducing some of their worries.

Proliferation of economic species in fishing centers

The management of the Caspian Sea reserves is not only limited to the release of juvenile fish, and the provision of productive fish, the reproduction of economic species, and the participation of fishing cooperatives are also important in this process. The implementation of artificial and natural reproduction programs, along with the distribution of baby fish in rivers leading to the sea, is part of the measures aimed at strengthening stocks and maintaining fishing capacity in the coming years.

Hosseinzadeh, Director General of Mazandaran Fisheries, while explaining the stock reproduction and restoration programs in the province, said: In the centers of Shahid Rajaei and Bahnar, the reproduction of economic fish such as Caspian sea salmon, white fish, carp and all kinds of sturgeon fish is done. In these centers, breeding programs are followed with the aim of producing juvenile fish and strengthening aquatic stocks, so that the necessary ground for the continuation of fishing activity and the preservation of economic species is provided.

He continued: One of the methods used is to transfer breeding fish from the sea to reproduction ponds and provide conditions for their natural reproduction. In this process, breeding fishes are transferred to the relevant centers, and after reproduction, the produced fishes are returned to the natural environment to restore the stocks. This method, along with artificial reproduction, can play a role in strengthening the population of economic species and forms part of the Caspian Sea reserve management programs.

Director General of Mazandaran Fisheries, referring to the participation of the fishing community in the distribution and release of baby fish, added: the baby fish produced with the cooperation of the fishing community are distributed and released in 33 rivers leading to the Caspian Sea. This cooperation is a part of the process of rebuilding the reserves, and fishing cooperatives participate in its various stages. By using the capacity of these cooperatives, efforts are being made to strengthen the relationship between fishing activities and conservation and reproduction programs.

Hosseinzadeh also stated about the incentives considered for the participation of cooperatives: incentives have been considered for the cooperatives that provide productive fish and provide them to the Shahid Rajaei Center for the reproduction process. The purpose of this action is to increase the cooperation of the fishing community in providing productive fish and to strengthen the plans to restore stocks. In addition to white fish, in the field of sturgeon, the issue of indirect fishing and reproduction is also considered, and after the reproduction process, it is possible to release them into the sea.

Fishermen's economy and the need to protect the Caspian natural capital

The return of fishermen to the Caspian Sea is the beginning of a new period of economic activity on the coasts of Mazandaran; A period in which the result of fishermen's daily effort depends on a set of natural, managerial and economic factors.

Forecasting an increase in catch can be a promising sign for activists in this sector, but its realization depends on conditions that are not all available to fishermen; From the weather condition and the presence of economic species to the process of rebuilding reserves and the possibility of sustainable harvesting of marine resources.