Saltwater intrusion in the Shatt Al-Arab River and aquaculture losses: A case study in the Seeba farms in Basrah; Southern Iraq

Abstract

The data of the current study were collected in 2019 to document the financial losses caused to al-Seeba Farms that are engaged in carp farming by the saltwater intrusion in the Shatt al-Arab River in 2009. The farms are situated in Basrah Governorate, Southern Iraq. The study relied on information obtained from farm owners and the data gathered from agricultural departments in the study areas associated with the Basrah Directorate of Agriculture. The study showed that project inputs were huge in terms of the loan given by the government (2 billion, four hundred and seven million Iraqi dinars in addition to twenty-five million two hundred fifty-thousand dinars (total cost of purchasing carp fish from the hatchery). In addition to the cost of purchasing sinking pellets, which is estimated at four hundred twenty-one million, three hundred and twenty-one thousand dinars.The project did not produce any output because of the intrusion of saltwater. The study included a comparison of the Seeba project which has 29 farms with two other fish farms in the Al-Faw district for marine fish species. These two farms in the Al-Faw district have resulted in profits of 37 million Iraqi dinars per season.The Al-Seeba project for fish farming represents one of the repeated failures in fish farming in the governorate, which is due to the saltwater intrusion and other reasons such as the absence of special expertise in the study of economic feasibility, environmental impact, planning, and management. The success of the two farms in Al-Fao encourages investment in this field, which is raising marine fish in the Shatt Al-Arab River in locations near the river’s estuary. It is important to establish marine fish hatcheries to ensure the sustainability of the project and protect the ecological balance.