Traditional livelihood under threat on Iran′s Caspian coast

For generations the fishermen in northern Iran have depended on the abundance of the Caspian Sea, catching caviar-producing sturgeon, minoga, kutum and tyulka. Yet in 2016, their haul was the lowest in 20 years. Water pollution, illegal fishing, oil extraction and the construction of dams are all taking their toll. By Changiz M. Varzi

October marks the beginning of the seven-month bony fish season when over Iranian 10,000 fishermen brave the cold water and unforgiving Siberian High to fish Caspian kutum, using traditional ″pareh″ or beach seine nets. Kargar Co-operative in Farhabad, about 350 kilometres from the capital Tehran, is one of 122 active fishing co-operatives in northern Iran
When the water temperature drops, fishermen set their net only two times per day: around noon and before dusk
Two small boats set the net in the sea in a loop shape and then the process of pulling out the net begins. A tractor pulls out the net – it takes about two hours for Mojtaba Keshavarz to coil up the wet and heavy rope
When the net gets closer to the coast, the members of the co-operative put on long plastic overalls, wade into the freezing water and prepare to drag out and empty the net
Eighty six fishermen are permanent members of Kargar co-operative. Every season they are joined by about 20 labourers from Turkish provinces bordering Iran. They are mostly farmers whose lands are covered by the snow during the winter
While Iranians still use the fishing techniques of their forefathers, the other four countries around the Caspian Sea – Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan – use commercial methods and fishing vessels
The co-operative is made up of workers of all ages. The younger ones work closely with experienced fishermen to learn how to gather in the net – their most precious commodity
The south coast of the Caspian Sea has mild weather, nonetheless in winter the weather can change rapidly and the temperature may drop to just above zero degrees
Abbas Gholi Taghizadeh is one of the oldest members of the co-operative. Fishing has been his livelihood since 1967. He checks the net for damage and repairs it after every catch
Mohammad Alamzad has been fishing for 25 years. He says that they used to catch over two tonnes a day, but now their daily catch hardly exceeds half a tonne
In 2014, in response to environmentalists′ concerns, the authorities proposed reducing the number of co-operatives to protect fish stocks. The plan was subsequently dropped owing to budget cuts
According to the United Nations′ Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the catch of Caspian kutum decreased from 1,250 tonnes in the 1950s to just 210 tonnes per annum in the 1990s