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The socio-economic data of bony fish fishing activities carried out by beach seine cooperatives in Mazandaran and Gilan provinces during the 2023-2024 fishing season were collected through a structured questionnaire. This questionnaire covered a wide range of variables related to fishing activities and was designed to assess the socio-economic performance of the sector. The collected data included employment and job opportunities, fishing operations and effort, catch volume and revenues, cost and investment structures, as well as the social structure and livelihood dependence of fishing communities on bony fish capture.
The beach seine cooperatives in these two provinces were categorized into five fishing areas, and the questionnaires were filled out through in-person visits at the cooperative headquarters. Out of 105 licensed beach seine cooperatives, 97 were active during the study year, and the required data were collected from 54 sample cooperatives.
The fishing activities of the 105 cooperatives created 6,616 job positions, employing 7,562 individuals. The average number of job opportunities and employed persons per cooperative was estimated at 63 and 72, respectively. The average annual working hours per crew member were calculated at 2,230.6 hours. These cooperatives conducted 14,964 fishing days, executed 45,174 beach seine hauls, and consumed 5.8 million liters of fuel to harvest approximately 8,332.6 metric tons of bony fish. Fuel use efficiency was measured at 0.59, indicating that 590 kilograms of fuel were consumed per ton of fish caught.The cooperatives incurred fixed costs totaling 3.35 billion tomans and variable costs of 55.8 billion tomans, with commercial and operational expenses accounting for the largest shares 21.5 and 16.0 billion tomans, respectively (equivalent to 40% and 30% of variable costs). The total asset value of the cooperatives was estimated at over 818.4 billion tomans, with an average asset value of 84.4 billion tomans per cooperative.
The total revenue from bony fish sales amounted to 303.9 billion tomans, while gross cash flow and gross value added were calculated at 240.6 and 244.9 billion tomans, respectively. The per cooperative averages for these indicators were 28.9, 22.9, and 23.3 billion tomans. Opportunity costs and depreciation were calculated at 181.2 and 2.26 billion tomans, respectively. The economic profit was 54.1 billion tomans, with an average of 5.2 billion tomans per cooperative. The capital productivity index showed that each unit of tangible capital investment yielded an economic return approximately three times its value indicating very favorable investment performance in the fishing sector. The break-even revenue was estimated at 232.6 billion tomans, covering around 77% of actual revenues, suggesting relatively strong and sustainable profitability for the cooperatives.
The average age of cooperative fishers was 50.6 years, and approximately 90% of the fishing community was literate. The total number of households dependent on these cooperatives was 29,927, with an average of 285 persons per cooperative. Livelihood dependency on fishing was calculated at 64%.
Based on the economic indicators evaluated in this study, among the five fishing areas, Area 2 (Farahabad to Royan in Mazandaran province) was identified as the most successful fishing zone, demonstrating optimal performance in terms of economic profit, capital and labor productivity, and sustainability. It was followed closely by Area 5 (Bandar Anzali to Astara in Gilan province), then Area 4 (Chaboksar to Bandar Anzali in Gilan) with acceptable performance, and Area 1 (Miankaleh and Goharbaran in Mazandaran) with average performance. In contrast, Area 3 (Royan to Ramsar in Mazandaran) was the only unprofitable zone, where continued fishing under the current economic conditions lacks justification and requires a fundamental restructuring of its economic and managerial model.
Provincial comparison revealed that Gilan province outperformed Mazandaran in terms of final profitability and financial sustainability, while Mazandaran demonstrated superior capital and labor efficiency. Therefore, beach seine cooperatives in Gilan were more economically profitable, whereas those in Mazandaran showed stronger productivity and employment quality. Continued fishing operations in both provinces are economically justifiable; however, Mazandaran’s cost structure and Gilan’s capital structure require reform to achieve greater balance and sustainability.
In summary, beach seine fishing activities in the Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea and along the coastlines of Mazandaran and Gilan provinces are, overall, profitable, efficient, and economically viable. Capital and labor productivity indices were positive, costs remained under control, and revenues exceeded the break-even point. Nevertheless, significant dependency on hidden subsidies (fuel and tax exemptions), regional income disparities, and losses in Area 3 are critical challenges that, if left unaddressed, may undermine long-term profitability.
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