Iraqi fish production falls 70% as drought, pollution hit fishermen

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Fishermen in the Sunniya district of Diwaniya are struggling to sustain their livelihoods as river water levels drop and waterways shift, sector representatives said. Industry officials point to drought, pollution, disease, illegal fishing and the closure of licensed farms as factors that have sharply reduced output. Iyad Talebi, head of the Iraqi Fish Producers Association, said national fish production fell from more than 900,000 tons in 2018 to between 250,000 and 300,000 tons today. The Ministry of Agriculture said it released roughly 155 million fish fry into rivers and water resources in 2026, a 65% increase from the previous year, as part of efforts to rebuild stocks. More than one ton of fish have died in the Amshan Canal in Maysan, with similar large-scale deaths reported earlier in Diyala, according to environmental monitors. They attributed the mass die-offs to low oxygen levels and pollution. The ministry formally recorded the presence of African catfish, an invasive species now spreading across Iraq, in 2023, and local producers say it is threatening native fish populations. No further details on additional support measures for affected fishermen were immediately available.