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Inland Fisheries
Inland fisheries is mainly practiced in Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Sudan as well as other Arab
countries. The inland fresh water made up of natural lakes; dams and
reservoirs, rivers and
their branches and marshes.
The Iraqi inland fisheries are based in great part on Cyprinus spp., while its most important
indigenous fishes belong to the genus Barbus.
Freshwater aquaculture of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus or O. spilurus)was introduced in
Kuwait and lately in Jordan.
Inland waters in almost all Arab countries are open access with no catch controls.
Freshwater Aquaculture in Iraq is estimated to be 7 500 ha. The main species cultured is common
carp and to a lesser extent grass and silver carp.
Cyprinus carpio common carp
Freshwater fishes (inland)
Cyprinus sharpey binni
Barbus xanthopterus kattan
Barbus grypus shabbout
Liza abu khishni
Silurus triostegus jirri
Barbus luteus himri
Asalus eorase shilik
Cyprinus carpio common carp
(Aquaculture fishes)
Cyprinus carpio common carp
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix silver carp
Ctenopharyngodon idellus grass carp
The
wetlands of Arabia, specially in Sudan, Egypt, Syria,Arabian gulf
states and Iraq in particular in Lower Mesopotamia support a major
fishery.
Several
marine fish species of great economic importance are dependent on
the estuarine systems and marshes for spawning, e.g. the pomphret
Pampus argenteus and the saboor Hilsa hilsa,while the penaeid shrimp
Metapenaeus affinis undertakes seasonal migrations between the Gulf
and nursery grounds in the marshes.
This
shrimp is of significant economic importance to artisanal fishermen
along the coasts of the northern Gulf, particularly Kuwait (Maltby,
1994).
The
estimated annual catch of fish in the Mesopotamian marshes in the
early 1960s was 30,000 tonnes, of which 70% were species of
Cyprinidae. In 1990, FAO estimated that the total inland catch of
fish in Iraq was 23,600 tonnes, with over 60% of this coming from
the Mesopotamian marshes. The commonest fish in the catches, in
order of importance, are "bunni" Barbus sharpeyi, "khatan"
B. xanthopterus, "himri" B. luteus,"shaboot" B.
grypus and the introduced
common
carp Cyprinus carpio. Commercial landings of the shrimp Metapenaeus
affinis at the two main fish markets at Basrah during
September-November 1985 averaged 1,000 kg/day
Barbus xanthopterus kattan
List
of Freshwater Fishes for Iraq (as an example)
Scientific
Name
FB Name Local
Name
Status
Acanthobrama
lissneri
misidentification
Acanthobrama
telavivensis
native
Acanthopagrus
berda
Picnic seabream
native
Alburnus
caeruleus
native
Aphanius
mento
native
Aphanius
sophiae
native
Aristichthys
nobilis
Bighead carp
introduced
Aspius
vorax
native
Barbus
esocinus
Mangar
native
Barbus
grypus
native
Barbus
longiceps
misidentification
Barbus
luteus
native
Barbus
sharpeyi
native
Barbus
xanthopterus
native
Barilius
mesopotamicus
native
Caecocypris
basimi
endemic
Capoeta
damascina
native
Capoeta
trutta
native
Carcharhinus
leucas
Bull shark
native
Ctenopharyngodon
idellus
Grass carp
introduced
Cyprinion
tenuiradius
native
Cyprinus
carpio carpio
Common carp introduced
Gambusia
affinis
Mosquitofish
introduced
Gambusia
holbrooki
Eastern mosquitofish introduced
Garra
rufa
native
Heteropneustes
fossilis
Stinging catfish
introduced
Hypophthalmichthys
molitrix
Silver carp
introduced
Leuciscus
lepidus
native
Mystus
pelusius
native
Nemacheilus
insignis
misidentification
Orthrias
frenatus
native
Orthrias
panthera
native
Orthrias
tigris
native
Sillago
sihama
Silver sillago
native
Silurus
triostegus
native
Strongylura
strongylura
Spottail needlefish native
Tenualosa
ilisha
Hilsa shad
Sbour
native
Typhlogarra
widdowsoni
Iraq blind barb endemic
Hilsa shad
(Sbour)
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