Al-Sulaymaniyah cracks down on unlicensed fish farms

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Authorities in Al-Sulaymaniyah, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), have launched a campaign against unlicensed fish farms to enforce regulations governing the sector, the province's deputy agriculture director told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Jutyar Khalid said the campaign is being carried out in coordination with security and administrative agencies, adding that most fish farms in the province lack licenses and fail to comply with Instruction No. 9 of 2021 regulating the establishment of such projects, while many violators have already been referred to the judiciary under Law No. 3 of 2018 on preventing encroachments.

Only about 40 of Al-Sulaymaniyah's more than 600 fish farming projects hold valid licenses, Khalid revealed.

According to the Kurdistan Region's Directorate of Fish Resources, only 480 of the KRI's roughly 2,300 fish farms and ponds are officially licensed. The sector produces about 37,000 metric tons annually, with Al-Sulaymaniyah accounting for more than 15,000 tons, making it the Kurdistan Region's largest fish-producing province.