Iran sets roadmap to expand tilapia farming industry 

Iran's ministry of agriculture has drawn up a roadmap to
promote the country’s tilapia aquaculture industry. 

Mohsen Mansouri, the vice-president for executive affairs,
Hossein Hosseini, the head of Iran Fisheries Organization, and Mehran Fatemi,
the governor of Yazd province inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last
week and agreed on a roadmap to expand the country’s cultured tilapia
production in the central Yazd province.

The new project will improve Iran’s cage culture capacities
and support the government’s efforts to achieve its long-term goal of 1,000
tons of tilapia production annually through cage culture method.

Under the terms of the agreement, signed in the presence of
the Iranian president, ministry of agriculture will help facilitate investment
in the project and develop the necessary infrastructure.

Tilapia are a diverse group of tropical fish with over 100
species that originally came from Africa and the Middle East, but now are
farmed throughout the world. The most widespread and popular cultured tilapia
species is the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). It accounted for 85
percent of the total tilapia production of 1.85 million metric tons (MT)
reported for 2000.

Tilapia is a truly global product that is equally suited to
both back-yard culture and large agroindustrial production. The fish grow
quickly and efficiently on either natural grazing or high-protein formulated
feeds, and are well regarded by both rich and poor consumers. Tilapia make an
ideal replacement for other freshwater fish species and seafood that can no
longer be supplied by traditional fisheries.