The Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute official said that in 2018, Iran ranked tenth in the world in shrimp production. He added: At the end of the sixth development plan of the country, the production of 60,000 tons of shrimp is predicted. Dr. Mahmoud Bahmani in an interview with a reporter from the Mehr News Agency pointed out that the Iran's shrimp breeding and farming industry is one of the honors of the country's aquaculture and fisheries, and mentioned: The industry is active in 31 shrimp breeding centers in four southern provinces of the country. Activists in the industry produce 3,692 million shrimp postlarvae. With the production of about 48,000 tons of shrimp in 2018, we are ranked 10th in the world in shrimp production. The director of the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute added: At the end of the sixth development plan of the country, the production of 60,000 tons of shrimp is predicted which requires more than 60,000 male - female pairs of shrimp to achieve this goal. However, in the previous years, the Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) western white shrimp broodstock were supplied from abroad. According to him, the first center for the production of SPF shrimp broodstock has been active since 2014 at the Shrimp Research Institute of Iran in Bushehr, the affiliated research institute to the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute. Last year, the center produced 6,000 male - female pairs of healthy shrimp broodstock needed by the country's shrimp breeding centers. Dr. Bahmani added: With financial support, the institute can take a step towards self - sufficiency of 16 % of the country's needs by producing more than 10,000 male - female pairs of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) whiteleg shrimp broodstock and effectively play its role in the jump in production. Explaining this issue, the director of the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute stated: The price of each male - female pairs of imported Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) shrimp broodstock is about $ 100 and considering the number of 10,000 pairs, this import needs about 15 billion Tomans of credit, whereas the price of each male - female pairs of domestic Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) shrimp broodstock production is estimated at 150,000 Tomans. Therefore, the price of 10,000 male - female pairs of shrimp will be one and a half billion Tomans; that is one tenth of the imported price. The Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute official continued: Of course, by transferring the technical knowledge of producing Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) shrimp to the shrimp breeding centers, the country's total need for healthy shrimp broodstock will be met in a 2 - year period. In this case, it is possible to create sustainable employment for more than 100 people by producing 60,000 male - female pairs of shrimp. The director of the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute stated: Considering the 2700 km coastline in the north and south of the country and the suitable lands that have been studied for shrimp farming using seawater, the production of shrimp in the country can be increased up to 10 times. In this case, the need for healthy shrimp broodstock or Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) shrimp broodstock will increase 10 times and it is obvious that the number of jobs and income from the sale of broodstock and the final product will increase. Regarding the macro project of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) shrimp broodstock production at the Shrimp Research Institute of Iran, the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute official said: The 36 - month project has many goals. Production of 2,000 male - female pairs of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) shrimp broodstock (currently with the efforts of the researchers and the cooperation of the private sector, this number has reached more than 6,000 male - female pairs of shrimp), transferring the technical knowledge to 50 activists in the shrimp industry and planning to meet the needs of the country and selective breeding of shrimp are among the most important goals of this project.