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By Trend

A member of the Supreme Council of Provinces in Iran said overfishing by Chinese ships in waters off the southern Iranian coasts in the Persian Gulf has put seafood resources at risk there.

“Excessive fishing by huge and industrial Chinese ships (in the Persian Gulf) is endangering species of aquatic animals,” Kianoush Jahanbakhsh said, ISNA reported on August 10.

“What I say is what Iranian fishermen, locals and eyewitnesses (in Hormozgan province) say”.

He noted that this has affected local fishermen’s livelihoods.

Earlier, an Iranian lawmaker had said, “Overfishing by Chinese vessels in Iran’s southern waters has drawn the ire of local fishermen whose livelihoods have been affected by the practice”.

Ahmad Moradi added industrial vessels must not be authorized to fish in the country’s coastal waters.

“I feel there are [profiteers getting] rake-offs from fishing by Chinese vessels on the country’s southern coast, and these people have, by cashing in on legal loopholes, arranged overfishing by Chinese ships,” said the MP.

“Traditional fishermen have no way to make a living other than fishing, but industrial ships disrupt local fishermen’s economic situation by catching small and big fish,” the lawmaker noted.

He underlined that industrial ships jeopardize stocks of marine animals by excessive fishing.
“Industrial vessels catch big and small fish using satellite equipment, and under such circumstances, domestic fishermen’s nets don’t deserve to be empty,” Moradi said.

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