Iran, France to set up join fish farm
By Sara Rajabova
Iran and France have reached agreement to establish the long discussed issue – on joint fish farming.
Hossein Ali Abdollahi, an official with Iran’s fishery organization said the two countries have agreed to establish a joint fish farm on Iran’s southern Island of Qeshm.
He added that some 10 million sea species of fish will be produced in the farm per year in line with the fishery organization’s development plan to replace farming of freshwater fish with saltwater fish, Fars news agency reported.
The farm will be established with French technology and all needed licenses have been issued, according to Abdollahi.
He also added that Iranian and French companies have invested some two million euro in the joint venture.
Abdollahi further said the Islam Republic’s National Development Fund has allocated $1.97 million for the project as well.
In May, Iran and France signed six cooperation agreements for a series of projects in livestock and fish farming and exports of organic Iranian products to the EU.
The two countries will expand relations in the gardening, fish farming and animal husbandry under the documents, which were signed in Tehran by deputy agriculture ministers of Iran and France.
Iran is also importing genetically-modified cattle from France. The two countries have also signed an agreement to set up a farm for growing dairy goats and sheep.
France and Iran earlier reached an agreement to develop a research center for raising salmons in the Iranian city of Kalardasht near the Caspian Sea.
Iran exported some $310 million worth of seafood in the past Iranian fiscal year (ended March 21).
The country's sea fishing and aquatic cultivation totaled 900,000 metric tons in the same period.
French traders are showing rising interest in business with Iran as nuclear talks between Tehran and the P5+1 are heading down the homestretch.
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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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