The initiative, carried out under the supervision of the Iranian
Fisheries Organization and the Department of Fisheries of Bushehr Province,
aims to restore marine biodiversity in the Persian Gulf and enhance the
livelihood of local fishing communities.
At a ceremony marking the event, senior officials including Attaollah
Raeisi, Deputy for Fishing and Fishing Ports at Iran’s Fisheries Organization,
and Reza Abbaspour Naderi, Director-General of Fisheries Affairs, joined
regional authorities and Arya Sasol representatives on the shores of Nayband to
oversee the large-scale fish release.
"This marks a significant step in marine resource protection and
demonstrates the role responsible corporations can play in environmental
conservation," Raeisi said, commending Arya Sasol for its engagement in
social responsibility efforts.
The release is the first phase of a two-part ecological rehabilitation
project that includes the construction and deployment of 400 artificial marine
habitats. The second phase is scheduled to begin next month and will involve
installing 200 structures each in Assaluyeh and Kangan to support natural fish
reproduction.
According to Abbaspour Naderi, the program adheres to all legal,
environmental, and technical standards, citing Article 50 of Iran’s
Constitution, which mandates environmental preservation alongside economic
development. The project was made possible through a cooperation agreement
between Arya Sasol and the Iranian Fisheries Organization signed in February
2024.
Arya Sasol’s HSE Director, Ardavan Farzinpour, said the company
selected the yellowfin seabream after consultations with marine biologists and
fisheries experts, including a research team from Shahid Beheshti University in
Tehran, which served as the scientific advisor to the project.
“This initiative follows our earlier conservation efforts for the
goitered gazelle and reflects our continued commitment to preserving Iran’s
natural heritage — this time focusing on marine ecosystems that have long been
neglected,” Farzinpour stated.
The company emphasized that the program contributes not only to
biodiversity protection but also to sustainable economic development in coastal
regions where fishing remains a critical livelihood.
Mohammad Karegar, head of the Bushehr Province Fishermen’s Cooperative
Union, praised the effort as a milestone for local fisheries.
“This marks a blessed day for our fishing communities. The
reintroduction of the yellowfin seabream will significantly improve marine
stocks and fishermen’s incomes in the long term,” he said, calling for other
petrochemical companies in the region to follow Arya Sasol’s example.
The project has brought together a range of stakeholders, including
Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone,
the Department of Environment, veterinary services, and local cooperatives —
underscoring a growing trend of multi-sector cooperation for sustainable marine
resource management in Iran.