The project for the construction of a fish farming plant in the
town of Neftechal
By Tofik Gasanov, Imran Abdulov, Ali Saidov.
The Caspian Sea is famous for its very valuable, rare and endemic species of
fish, including the sturgeon. The commercial fishing of sturgeon has
diminished from around 25-30 thousand tonnes to 1–1,2 thousand tonnes per
year. The fishing of sturgeons has now been prohibited. Currently, the USA is
also considering a ban on the import of the Caspian beluga (white sturgeon)
and beluga caviar.
The decline in the population of the sturgeon is a result of the pollution of the
Caspian Sea with wastewater from the rivers Volga, Ural and Kura, the
dramatic growth of oil prospecting and petroleum production, and the
uncontrolled poaching of sturgeon. Another cause of this decline is the
appearance of a particular species of the comb jellyfish (Mnemiopsis leidyi), in
the Caspian Sea, which feeds on zooplankton and competes with other
species for food. In addition, the quantity of young fish that is being released
into the Caspian Sea has diminished after the disintegration of the USSR.
Efforts to address this problem are currently underway. A new fish farming
plant in Neftechal (in the mouth of Kura River) was established in September
2002. This plant, which is situated in a 25-hectare area, has a capacity of 15
million young fish per year. The establishment of this plant was made possible
by funding from ‘Azerenergostroimontazh’ and the German company
‘Ferrostaal’. The French company ‘Sofreko’ provided the consulting services.
The construction cost is USD $5,95 million. The total project cost is USD $9,1
million. The Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, and
the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources have established the Sturgeon
Public Foundation whose task is to manage the plant.
Both local and foreign experts and nongovernmental organizations are
currently focusing their efforts in addressing the conditions in the Caspian
Sea. This has also become the focus of the Commission of the Caspian Sea
Biological Resources. This year the fifth Caspian state, Iran, joined the
commission. Experts agree that the construction of new fish farming plants
will contribute significantly to the increase in the sturgeon population.