Troubled waters: Iraq's fish farms face disease spread

Shafaq News/ On Friday, the Iraq’s Fish Producers Association urged the government to ban fish imports and address a recurring herpes virus outbreak.

The Association's head, Iyad al-Talabi, told Shafaq News that Iraq remains self-sufficient in fish production. However, he warned that periodic outbreaks of the herpes virus—typically occurring in April and November—lead to temporary supply shortages and price increases, with the market stabilizing during the rest of the year.

Unregulated imports, especially carp from neighboring countries, are putting Iraqi investment projects at risk, he noted, adding that “the cost of producing one kilogram of Iraqi fish reaches 6,250 dinars ($4.77) and it’s sold for 7,000 ($5.34), while imported fish enter at 3,000 ($2.29).”

He further called on the Ministry of Agriculture to “protect local producers, close the borders to imported fish, and provide vaccines and treatments for the herpes virus that continues to damage the sector.”

Addressing water scarcity in fish farming, al-Talabi noted that the government has begun issuing licenses for closed-system aquaculture, which offers an alternative model to sustain the domestic market.