History of fish farming in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has an area of 60086 square kilometers, of which about 1.6% is water. Following the tendency of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Soviet Union, the production of fisheries and fish farming in Azerbaijan in the early 1990s decreased sharply and the production of fish in this country decreased to more than 20,000 tons per year.
But today, fish farming in Azerbaijan has made great progress. The Republic of Azerbaijan is much larger in size and population than other republics of the South Caucasus and also has the lowest amount of fresh water reserves compared to other countries in the region.
One of the advantages of Azerbaijan in terms of access to water resources is the length of its coast, which is about 840 km. Fish farming in the Republic of Azerbaijan as well as its large fishing fleet is the result of the rich culture of this country in the field of fishing and fish consumption.
After the disintegration of the socialist republics of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the independence of Azerbaijan, the fish farming industry in Azerbaijan lost its efficiency. This led to a sharp decline in fish trade and the commercial value of this food both in the Caspian Sea and in inland waters.
But in recent years, investors’ interest in fish farming in the Republic of Azerbaijan has increased. This is partly due to the government’s greater attention to this sector as an active part in food production, especially as an important part of the Azerbaijani government’s program to ensure food security for the people. In addition, the high price of fish consumed and the increase in people’s purchasing power due to high economic growth has led to more attention being paid to the fisheries sector.
However, fish farming in the Republic of Azerbaijan has not yet been fully established, as it lacks a regular legal rule for the purposeful development of the fish farming industry.
In the past, fish farming in the Republic of Azerbaijan, especially sturgeon and black caviar, was very prosperous, and most of the fish exports were such fish. The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Lake Sariso, which is 67 square kilometers, is one of the largest sources of fish farming in the Republic of Azerbaijan. About half of the country’s fish production comes from these sources annually.
In addition to natural rivers and lakes, the Republic of Azerbaijan has many reservoirs, including the Mingachovir and Shemark reservoirs on the Kura River, which have been able to expand the fish farming industry in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The country’s largest dam is also located on the Araz River, which is the third largest reservoir for fish farming.
As you know, before the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1991, the fisheries sector in this country, including fisheries and aquaculture, as well as fish farming, operated as a source of income; But the methods of aquaculture and fish farming in the Republic of Azerbaijan have been developed since the 1980s.
Current conditions of fish farming in Azerbaijan
Since the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1991, the Soviet Union has made significant progress in the fisheries sector, especially fish farming in the Republic of Azerbaijan. In recent years, we have seen the presence of this country in global markets.
Azerbaijan is one of the first countries to use biological technology for artificial production of sturgeon. Perhaps the most important reason for this is the existence of the largest river in the South Caucasus in this country; As a result, significant resources of fish and other aquatic animals have emerged in the waters of this region.
Technologies for raising fish in Azerbaijan, such as artificial trout, were developed at sea in 1954 by the country’s fisheries. The important task of Azerbaijani fish farms is to preserve the unique salmon population in the Caspian Sea.
The most important species of fish farming in Azerbaijan, which are mainly produced on farms, are the following:
European carp
Silver and Grass Carp (Amur)
Caviar fish
Trout
Atlantic mackerel
Caspian fish
Salted fish and herring
And … .
Silver carp and grass carp were first introduced to Azerbaijan in 1960, which has made great progress in the production of this type of farmed fish.
Also, fish farming in Azerbaijan, such as cura fish and family fish, including rods, oysters and sharks, continues to operate in good conditions. This type of fish is released into the reservoirs, the Kora River, lakes and the Caspian Sea after breeding.
With the advancement of science and the development of technology, various methods of fish farming have emerged in Azerbaijan. For example, fish farming in this country is done by various methods, including the method of release in rivers, lakes and in large and small reservoirs and ponds.
Also, with the expansion of funds and budgets required for fish farming in Azerbaijan by the government, it has created a great incentive for the development of fish farmers. According to experts, the envisaged measures, along with appropriate and efficient international cooperation, within the framework of various programs and projects of FAO and other international organizations working in this field, the possibility of developing and increasing efficiency for breeders. Provides fish in this country.
With the process that this country is going through, in the next few years, in addition to the supply of commercial fish and aquaculture, in the Republic of Azerbaijan, aquaculture production and re-agriculture will return to its peak period.
In 1954, for the first time in Azerbaijan, a fish farm was built in the oil town of Naftchala, near the Kura River. Since then, Azerbaijan has been extensively renovating, equipping and refining this farm. Today in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku caviar is produced from three species of fish: Russian sturgeon, black caviar (American caviar) and beluga.
The city of Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan provides exclusively caviar food for modern and multi-star hotels, as well as famous and prestigious shopping malls and Azerbaijani restaurants.
It should be noted that with the transfer of fish farms in Azerbaijan to the private sector, many of them have lost their value and some of them are far less efficient than their capacity. The reason for this is the private sector’s use of obsolete equipment and the lack of proper investment in this sector.
With its progress in the fish farming industry, Azerbaijan is now one of the major exporters in this field. Fish farms in Azerbaijan export most of their products to other countries in the region and sometimes to European countries.
Behrooz Fard – Fisheries Analyst and Complicator