Pishgaman Iranian Aquaculture and Shahid Beheshti University Begin a Strategic National Trout-Breeding Project

Pishgaman Iranian Aquaculture has signed a memorandum of understanding and a formal cooperation agreement with Shahid Beheshti University to advance science and modern technology in Iran’s aquaculture industry. The collaboration is among Iran’s largest and most specialized national rainbow-trout selective-breeding projects. It is being conducted under the scientific supervision of Dr. Hossein Askari, a faculty member at Shahid Beheshti University. The work has two principal tracks: producing sex-reversed male broodstock through sex induction to establish controlled related stocks and manage sex separation accurately; and validating and developing a genomic screening system to estimate broodstock breeding values, monitor genetic deterioration, assess inbreeding and genetic distance between populations, and establish a rainbow-trout germplasm bank. The project is expected to improve genetic quality, production stability, and the effectiveness of breeding lines at farms across the country. Combining more than three decades of Pishgaman’s practical experience with Shahid Beheshti University’s scientific capabilities, the partners regard the project as a scientific and operational pillar for the national aquaculture industry. Alongside improved productivity at domestic farms, the results should strengthen the competitiveness of Iranian products in regional and international markets. This connection between university and industry can transform farmed-fish quality, genetic security, and the sustainable development of aquaculture in Iran.