Iran with an average per capita of about 12 kg, at the end 2018, reached a total fisheries production of 1,262,000 tonnes that ranked the country as the 24th in the world. In the same year, the total aquaculture production increased in 489,000 tonnes, and species of carps (four species), rainbow trout, shrimp, sea bass and sea bream (cage culture), sturgeon and ornamental fish shared productions of 187, 173, 48, 14.2, 2.8, 0.25 thousand tonnes, respectively. Despite a rapid development in the aquaculture sector in during last years, the industry has been encountered with several problems and obstacles. Selective breeding of the existing commercial species is one constrain interfering the fast growth, low survival and high cost-effective for production of some species such as rainbow trout. With the development of the industry during last two decays, the aquaculture sector has been suffered from the frequent outbreaks of various infectious diseases including bacterial (streptococcosis, lactococcosis, yersiniosis), viral (VHS, IPN and IHN, WSD) and parasitic (some protozoans and monogeneans) diseases causing huge economical losses annually. Despite a value attention paid by both Veterinary and Fisheries Organizations, still most of fish farmers hesitate to use the vaccines against the current diseases.
Iraq with a short coastline with Persian gulf has faced with significant environmental changes to the coastal habitat and in the inland waters of Forat and Dejleh rivers due to dam construction and the draining of marsh areas. The aquaculture production in 2018 was about 25737 tonnes that is production of carp species in the ponds or river cages. As a results of fish farm visits and training seminars for fish farmers and also surveys by some researchers and fish farmers, the Iraqi aquaculture is suffering from various health problems mainly poor water quality and frequent outbreaks by some bacterial (Motile Aeromonas septicemia, carp erythrodermatitis caused by A. salmonicida) and viral disease probably caused by cyprinid herpesvirus, and some monogenic and protozoan parasites. This presentation gives an overview on what are the health status of Iranian and Iraqi aquaculture industries and discuss the current gaps that required further attention.