Following similar initiative in Dukan

Thousands of fish released into Erbil dam to boost farming

2024-07-30 | 18:05

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Agriculture announced on Tuesday the release of 45,000 fingerlings into Chamrga Dam in Erbil. This follows a larger release of 200,000 fingerlings at Dukan Dam in Sulaymaniyah, as part of an ongoing initiative to enhance local fish farming.

The ministry’s Directorate of Agricultural Guidance, which annually produces half a million fingerlings, raises and monitors these young fish until they are ready for release. This practice is aimed at developing the region’s aquaculture and supporting local ecosystems.

Pshtiwan Ahmed, the General Director of the Board at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized the initiative’s role in expanding the fish farming sector. “The transport and release of 200,000 carp fingerlings from Erbil to Dukan district aim to cultivate a robust aquaculture environment,” Ahmed told 964media on July 21.

Fingerlings are young fish, typically about the size of a finger. They are part of projects designed to support sustainable fisheries and environmental conservation. By releasing fingerlings into lakes, rivers, or dams, governments and environmental bodies aim to boost local fish populations, enhance biodiversity, and support commercial fishing industries.

Dukan Dam, the largest in the Kurdistan Region, boasts a capacity of 52 million cubic meters of water. In contrast, Chamrga Dam, which was inaugurated on June 25, 2024, measures 17.5 meters in height, stretches 262 meters in length, and has a budget of 4.3 billion IQD ($3,280,900) funded by the Kurdistan Regional Government.

During the inauguration, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani highlighted the critical importance of using surface water to alleviate the pressure on groundwater resources. He noted that groundwater levels are becoming “dangerously low,” echoing concerns from Iraq’s Agriculture and Water Resources Minister, Aoun Diab Abdullah. In 2023, Abdullah had raised an alarm about the excessive use of groundwater in Erbil, pointing to a significant drop in water levels that now requires wells to reach depths of up to 800 meters.

The Kurdistan Region is home to 17 main dams, with a collective annual storage capacity exceeding 10 billion cubic meters of water. Key among these are the Dukan, Darbandikhan, and Duhok dams.