Prioritizing the Factors Affecting the Management of Cold Water Fish Farming (Case Study: Qazvin Province)

Today, fish farming and breeding is considered as one of the most significant sources of protein supply in the world so that we can observe the remarkable improvements in this field. Artificial methods of fish breeding began in China and dates back to 3000 years ago. However, though the precedence of breeding fish in a pool is long, the artificial reproduction is a new experience. The first step in artificial fertilization was taken by a German scientist named Ludwick Jacobi. Despite the long experience of fish farming in the world, in Iran, it has been started in 1972 by reproducing Acipenseridae and in 1959 by reproducing rainbow trout. Industrial and economical growth as well as the need for supplying food for the growing population and the higher quality of fish protein compared to that of other kinds of meat has caused an increasing interest in the fish and fishing in the seas and water resources and has made it an important source of attracting foreign currency. Iran should also take the same actions considering the current policies. Therefore, reproduction of cold water fish should be taken into consideration as one of the most significant issues in this regard and all kinds of facilities should be provided for its optimal application[3]. There is a high potential in national waters of Iran in this regard few of which are currently being used. One reason for this is the lack of technical knowledge and required experience in fish farms management. Most farmers who engage in this occupation have suffered losses or have not used the available facilities properly due to the lack of sufficient technical and scientific knowledge. Regarding the above-mentioned issues, this study aims to signify the effective factors in the production of cold water fish farms and prioritize them based on decision making methods of AHP[4]. [Seyed Mohammad Shahroudi. Prioritizing the Factors Affecting the Management of Cold Water Fish Farming (Case Study: Qazvin Province). Life Sci J 2012; 9(4):51-62] (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 9