16.09.2008

State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)

Turkmenistan’s fish industry: priorities and perspectives of co-operation

The Perspectives of Fish Industry of Turkmenistan and International Co-Operation Scientific Conference was held in the Turkmen capital in the framework of the Fish Industry of Turkmenistan-2008 Exhibition. The conference focused on the current issues of development of fish industry, preservation and replenishment of the natural populations of sturgeons and valuable commercial fish.

That Turkmenistan became the platform for the scientific forum of such kind is not occasional. Our country actively contributes to the global efforts to preserve the biological diversity of the Caspian Sea that was proved by this conference held on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. It is the first forum in the history of the Caspian states the results of which will facilitate the design of the relevant action strategy.

The scientists from 10 countries including the Caspian states and Germany, Turkey, Latvia, the United Arab Emirates took part in the conference. The well-known scientists, experts in ichthyology and aquaculture, fish farming arrived in the Turkmen capital. Turkmenistan was represented by the sectoral departments, Gosrybohrana, Ekologiya Research and Production Centre of the Minsitry of Water Industry and the oil and gas departments engaged in developing the oil and gas deposits in the Caspian Sea. As is known environmental wellbeing is a key condition for the success of the strategy of preserving the biodiversity of the Caspian Sea. The Turkmen oil and gas specialists reported on the measures taken to ensure environmental security of the ongoing projects.

In their reports the scientists focused on the problems the countries faced nowadays. The local tendencies in fish industry development were defined. The representatives of the Caspian states focused on the problem of decreasing the marketable populations of surgeons. The conference participants called for designing the common action strategy that would enable to change the situation fundamentally.

The participants were unanimous that the new technologies of reproducing brood stocks should be elaborated. One of the widely spread methods – the so-called from caviar to caviar method was successfully applied at the fish farms in Turkmenistan, in particular the Caspian Sea where the production complexes were under construction.

The scientists noted that pondfish farming had the big perspectives in Turkmenistan. In this regard the profound experience of the Arab countries in combined pondfish farming would be of great use. The broad opportunities of mutually advantageous co-operation were considered during the conference.

The conference participants received the diplomas and certificates during the closing ceremony.