INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON WETLANDS AND SUSTAINABILITY 2007

THE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR AN EIA OF A SHRIMP CULTURE COMPLEX IN

THE VICINITY OF GOMISHAN WETLAND, CASPIAN SEA

Nazanin Fazlali
Faculty of Environmental Science
Science & Research Branch
Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

nazaninfazlali@yahoo.com

Abstract

Shrimp culture development has been expanding rapidly in Iran for the last decade.
This has been initiated by the government by designing and construction of large
complexes along the coastline in the Oman Sea, Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea.
Gomishan Shrimp Culture Project has been designed for 4000 hectares aim to
produce about 5000 tones shrimp per year. This complex is situated in the east of
Caspian Sea, near Gomishan city and Wetland.
Gomishan Wetland is a protected water body on the east side of the sea margin with
an approximate area of 20,000 hectares. It has been designate as a "Prohibited
Hunting Area" by the Department of the Environmental of Iran (DOE) and is
conserved very tightly. It is a very important coastal shallow water body from
biodiversity and socio-economic reasons. It is the main fishing ground for some
commercially valuable fish species such as sturgeons as well as home to a wide
variety of different birds, especially migratory species entering the area for wintering.
This wetland is also a very important nursery, feeding and living ground for many fish
species and other important aquatics in the Caspian Sea.
From the social & economical point of view, the area is rather a poor rural populated
area and this is the main reason why government has decided to build this complex
there, to enhance the living condition and well being of local people.
The economical importance of the project in parallel with the sensitivity of the
wetland and its importance to the natural settings and marine aquatics and wildlifs,
made government to carry out an EIA project in this regard to make sure about the
 INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON WETLANDS AND SUSTAINABILITY 2007

wise practices to be taken into account during the construction and production
periods.
This article will presents and discusses the results and findings of the EIA report
highlighting the management actions to be taken with an emphasis on the monitoring
program for the shrimp complex and wetland as well.

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