'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎164v] (333/610)

V
294
The South Caspian fishing properties held by Messrs . 1 Liono-
sofl were divided into 5 groups centred at Astara, Enzali, Hasan
Kiade (Safidri group), Meshed-i-Sar, Astarabad.
1. Astdrd group. —The catch was chiefly ‘ Soudak ’ (sandre)
up to approximately 120 , 000 2 pouds, carp, kutoum, and bream
approximately 15,000 pouds. »
Some 25,000 pouds of sturgeon, were caught yielding 3,000
to 3,500 pouds of caviare. The sturgeon were delivered to the
Safidri refrigerator.
2. Enzali group. —This group has a refrigerator. The
catch resembles that of Astara without the sturgeon.
3. Safidri group. —This group has special refrigerators at
Hasan Kiade for sturgeon, which is the principal catch. There
are three species of sturgeon and the catch averaged 35,000
pouds yielding 5,000 to 6,000 pouds of caviare.
4. Meshed-i-Sar group. —No details about this group are
available, but a fair number of sturgeon were caught.
5 . Astarabdd group. —The catch is chiefly ‘ vobla,’ and
averaged 25,000,000 fish weighing 220,000 to 230,000 pouds,
carp, bream, and kutoum 40,000 pouds and sturgeon 15,000
pouds yielding about 2,000 pouds of caviare.
The ‘ vobla ’ were salted and the sturgeon sent to the ‘ Safidri ’
refrigerator.
The total annual yield of the fishery was accordingly stated
to be about 600,000 pouds (2,400,000 lbs.) of fish and 11,000
pouds (440,000 lbs.) of caviare.
The sturgeon is considered unclean by the Muhammadans
and the fishery concession grants the lessee a monopoly of
catching them. No monopoly is given for other species of fish
and local fishermen can catch them without restriction.
These figures show that the most productive river for
sturgeon is the Safid Rud which enters the Caspian at Hasan
Kiad During the latter half of April and early May, hundreds
of them are caught daily.
Ropes are stretched from bank to bank near the mouth of
the river with cords a few feet long attached at intervals of a
couple of feet. At the end of each cord is a large iron barbed
hook, which trails downstream and sinks. * *
1 See paragraph (e)'ahove, p. 272.
* 1 pond = 36 lbs.