Tehran – More than half of Iran's marine fish harvest, 53 percent, comes from the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, according to the director of the country's Fisheries Science Research Institute.

 

Mohammad Sadeq Mortazavi reported that Iran's southern waters yielded over 815,000 tons of aquatic resources in the past Iranian year (ending March 2026).

 

“Hormozgan Province led production with 47.4 percent of the total, followed by Sistan and Baluchestan at 38.1 percent, Bushehr at 8 percent, and Khuzestan at 6.3 percent.”

 

He revealed that post-conflict environmental assessments are being prepared to measure the impact of military activity and oil pollution on marine ecosystems.

 

The research framework is already in place, he said, with extensive field sampling slated to begin once maritime conditions stabilize.

 

Oil derivatives, he explained, enter the marine environment through multiple pathways—some dissolve in seawater, some are transported to coastlines by tides, and others settle into seabed sediments.

 

Highlighting ecological risks, the official noted that this spring's hostilities coincided with the primary spawning season for many commercially valuable fish and shrimp species, which also spawn secondarily in September.

 

"Environmental disturbances during these critical reproductive windows could affect stock regeneration," he warned, emphasizing that safeguarding these sensitive periods is essential for the long-term sustainability of Iran's fisheries.

 

Mortazavi added that shrimp stock assessment surveys are currently underway in Bushehr and Hormozgan, with findings due by late September. In northern waters, he said, last year's catch included 8,200 tons of bony fish and 8,300 tons of kilka.