Toward an effective temporary fishing ban law enforcement in the Persian Gulf

Implementing a fishing ban, which prohibits all fishing activities, is a significant fisheries measure aimed at reducing fishing pressure and restoring depleted fish populations. Overfishing, along with climate change, poses a serious threat to fish biodiversity and the livelihoods of fishers in the Persian Gulf, particularly in Iran. This study employed a bottom-up approach to facilitate consensus-building between the fishing communities in southern Iran and governmental authorities, ultimately leading to the adoption of an extended fishing ban in the northern Persian Gulf. To achieve this objective, an initial survey was conducted by distributiing and collectiing 652 questionnaires to evaluate the perceptions of key stakeholder groups— including fishers, officials from the Iranian Fisheries Organization (IFO) and the Iranian Department of Environment (IDE), as well as scientific experts— regarding current levels of fishing mortality in the region. Subsequently, the optimal timing for enforcing a fishing ban was assessed by computing the Fishing Ban Score (FBS) index. The FBS values were calculated by multiplying three componetns: the monthly ovarian development percentages of 40 commercially important or dominant fish species in the catch (including 32 teleosts, 5 crustaceans, 2 sharks, and 1 cephalopod), the weighted importance of each species to fisheries, and the current status of the fish stocks. The results revealed that while most fishermen expressed concerns about weak fisheries co-management, they were equally apprehensive about the ongoing exploitation of fish in the region. Spring—particularly May, with an FBS of 38.20—was identified as the optimal time for implementing the fishing ban. Finally, a stakeholder meeting was convened, during which participants discussed the findings and ultimately reached a consensus to implement an annual fishing ban commencing in May. Given the transboundary nature of fish stocks in the Persian Gulf, it is recommended that neighboring countries collaborate with Iran in adopting a coordinated and more effective fishing ban across the region.