70,000 fish released into Dukan Lake in environmental effort

SULAYMANIYAH – The Raparin Forestry and Environment Police Directorate said Tuesday that two residents of the Pshdar area released 70,000 carp fingerlings into Dukan Lake with the assistance of local forestry and environment police.

According to a statement, the initiative was led by Fereydoun Rasul and Najmaddin Ali “out of love and responsibility for the environment.” Police commended the residents, calling the effort a step to boost fish stocks in the lake and support environmental preservation in the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Region is home to 17 major dams with an annual storage capacity exceeding 10 billion cubic meters of water. Key dams include Dukan, Darbandikhan, and Duhok.

In August this year, local authorities released around 400,000 fingerlings into Dukan Lake and the Sirwan River as part of two separate efforts to bolster fish populations in Sulaymaniyah Governorate. The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources said the program is part of ongoing efforts to increase fish stocks in the region’s lakes and rivers.