Shafaq News-Al-Anbar

Iraq’s Agriculture Ministry released more than nine million newly hatched carp fish into Lake Habbaniyah in Al-Anbar province, western Iraq, in an effort to boost fish stocks and support food security, the ministry said on Saturday.

The Directorate of Animal Resources carried out the release in coordination with local authorities and under the supervision of a specialized technical team.

On April 23, the ministry also released more than 11 million fish into Lake Ana in Al-Anbar, including over 10 million common carp and more than one million gattan fish.

Iraq’s fisheries sector entered in November 2025 a policy transition citing severe water shortages, after the Ministry of Water Resources ordered the closure of all licensed earthen fish farms. The move forms part of a broader shift toward closed-system aquaculture, which uses significantly less water.

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