At the joint meeting with the representatives from the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology of the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization as well as the managers from the Iran Fisheries Organization, the Iran Veterinary Organization and the private sector, Dr. Mahmoud Bahmani said:Although the first phase of the national project for the acquisition and transfer of technical knowledge of the macro project of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) rainbow trout production has been successfully completed, the second phase of the project requires the involvement of the private sector and the investor involved in the industry.Dr. Bahmani added: In this regard, the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute is ready to be fully involved with the private sector in the establishment of a rainbow trout selective breedingpilot project and exploitation of the Shahid Motahari Genetics and Breeding Research Center of Coldwater Fish -Yasuj to promote this national project with the active participation of the private sector.The director of the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute continued: This project is one of the most important projects of the institute and has so far achieved acceptable results.At present, with the emphasis of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology of the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the second phase of the macro project of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) rainbow trout production has begun in partnership with the private sector.According to Dr. Bahmani, the technical knowledge of establishing the first semi-industrial model pilot for reproduction andproduction of rainbow trout in compliance with the principles of biological safety is the first achievement to be made available to the Iran Veterinary Organization through a formal agreement to establish breeding centers for sustainable development of rainbow trout production. Creating the knowledge based product of the schools of high - health rainbow trout broodstock with genealogical identities from existing genetic resources in the country, is another achievement that Dr. Bahmani mentioned.In this regard, 600 brooder fish that produced from these schools are now available to the Iran Fisheries Organization and the Coldwater Fishes Research Center of Tonekabon (the affiliated research center to the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute) in line with the macro project of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) rainbow trout production.A number of these fish are also kept for the gene bank at the Shahid Motahari Genetics and Breeding Research Center of Coldwater Fish –Yasuj (the affiliated center to the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute).Dr. Bahmani said: Production of eyed rainbow trout eggs and fertile juvenile rainbow trout with high-health and genealogical identities are the third achievement of the project. 50 percent of these products were provided to the partner breeding centers in the provinces to be used for the production of rainbow trout broodstock. Twenty thousand juvenile rainbow trout are also kept at the Coldwater Fishes Research Center of Tonekabon to create the next generation and achieve their ultimate goals.The director of the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute emphasized:The funding for the project was 6 billion tomans, 50 percent of which was funded by the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology of the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 25 percent by the governorate of Mazandaran and 25 percent by the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research
Institute.Dr.Bahmani believes that operating different sectors like separate islands willresult in a loss to the entire industry.Therefore, the footprint of the presence of the private sector, which is considered to be the owner of the industry, should be increasingly reflected in such projects.For this reason, research priorities need to be tailored to the needs of the private sector; otherwise, research in the country will have no justification. Our researchers need to see the results of their research in promoting the production of industry owners.The director of the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute continued: To this end, the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute is ready to use all its facilities, equipment, and even expert power to enhance and expand the knowledge based activities of the private sector to achieve this important goal.Dr. Alipour, the deputy director of technology affairs of the Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization, expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of the project and said: So far, the Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization has signed at least 300 contracts for the transfer of technical knowledge in cooperation with the private sector. Therefore, the second phase of this project can also be in the same format, while there are legal rules for it.Dr. Ghajari, the general manager of the office for health and management of aquatic diseases of the Iran Veterinary Organization, emphasized the health aspects of this project and said: If the second phase like the first phase is in line with
constructive interactions with the Iran Veterinary Organization, it will undoubtedly achieve its goals.Dr. Abdi, the health and biosecurity advisor of the project, referred to health and biosecurity issues at the meeting and mentioned: Observing health issues to prevent disease in schools is one of the most important issues to be considered in this project.Otherwise, all the results of the hard work will disappear quickly. Mr. Farhi, the director of
the Coldwater Fish Union and the representative of the private sector, said at the meeting: Coordination for doing so is established by three sides: the executive sector, the private sector and research sector. At the end, he expressed hope that the three sides could work together to bring the project to a final conclusion.