Iran Fisheries   Production Capacity: Some 10,000 fishing boats were fishing in 1998, which indicated 179% rise in their number compared to the year 1979. Such boats included 66 large trawlers, 3,000 ferries and 7,000 fishing boats and small trawlers. Some 560 of the above marine vehicles (equaling 5.3%) were floating in the Caspian Sea in 1999,while the remainder where floating in the south waters. Hormozgan, Bushehr and Khuzestan Provinces ranked first to third respectively for fishing during the same period.       Production: Some 412,000 tons of diverse kinds of fishes were produced and caught in the year 1999, 57% of which belonged to the south and 26% to the north and 16% (inclusive of artificially proliferated shrimp) to the domestic waters. The total figure shows 3% increase compared to a year before that. Some 1,000 tons of estrogen was produced in 1998 to produce 97.5 tons of caviar, which showed 6.7% decrease compared to its previous year. Some 205 million offspring of diverse fishes were dropped into the Caspian Sea to preserve their generation. Consumption On the average each Iranian consumed 5 kg of aquatic beings in 1998, which showed 9% increase compared to its previous year. Export: 9,232 tons of fish, shrimp etc amounting to 55milion dollars were exported in 1998, showing 6% boost in value compared to its previous year. At the same time export of shrimp showed 39% boost in value. Some 34 million dollars of caviar and 1.17 million dollars of estrogen were exported in 1998, which is indicative of 11% decrease but a remarkable 92% boost respectively compared to its previous year.