An audit of sturgeon reproduction in Iran over the years 1998-2002

Iranian Fisheries Institutes in the north of the country are involved in the reproduction, culture and release of five species of sturgeon fingerlings into the Caspian Sea. The species are Acipenser persicus, A. guldenstadti, A. nudiventris and A. stellatus and Huso huso. Shahid Beheshti Fisheries Centre as the first commercial hatchery started its activities in 1972 in Rasht, Guilan Province of Iran. The center achieved a production ceiling of 21.6 million fingerlings in 1997 and increased it to 24.5 million fingerlings in 1998. It is anticipated that the center will achieve a threshold of 45 million fingerlings in the next few years. During 1997-2002, the center has increased its extent from 377 hectares to 887 hectares.
For Huso huso production, 17 specimens were caught in 1998, of which 10 were injected that produced 1.08 million fingerlings and in 2002, the number of caught and injected Huso huso were 29 and 21 respectively, that resulted in production and release of 2.4 million fingerlings.
A number of 1062 A. persicus breeders were caught in 1998 of which 581 individuals were injected with hypophysis extract resulting in production and release of 22.5 million fingerlings. Of 538 injected individuals from among a total 802 breeder fish caught in 2002, a number of 12.3 million fingerlings were produced and released into the sea.
The catch for Acipenser stellatus in 1998 was 193 breeders that produced 623000 fingerlings. In 2002, the catch increased to 290 breeders, of which 67 received injections to produce 1.3 million fingerlings.
A total number of 0.67 million fingerlings of A. guldenstadti was produced in 1998 which was increased to 1.78 million in 2002. For Acipenser nudiventris, the number of fingerlings produced in 1998 was 0.4 which was increased to 1.56 million in 2002.