Major fishing region of Iran experiences decline due to illegal fishing activities

Mazandaran Province of Iran is a major bony fish producing region mainly with mullet and common carp fish varieties. However, this season there are only 306 tons of mullet and common carp caught since the start of the season, October 6th, while there were 600 tons of the same fish caught in the same period last year.
The main reason for the decline is explained by the increased illegal fishing activities taking place in the Caspian Sea.
The total bony fish harvest output of the province last year was 7,000 tons which was an increase of 200% compared to the harvest season of 2018. Illegal fishermen are estimated to have the same harvest yield as the licensed fishermen.