IRAN DAILY (Tehran) 12 January 11 Industrial Crocodile Breeding (Sadeq Dehqan)

The crocodiles imported from Malaysia have adapted to Iran's climatic conditions, and Iran can start the industrial breeding of crocodile, director general of Hormuzgan Veterinary Department announced.

The situation is ripe for launching crocodile breeding farms for industrial production of this species in south of Iran, Zabihollah Gharib told Iran Daily.

Pointing to the willingness of investors to breed the crocodile, he expressed hope that apart from meeting domestic needs, the country could export the products.

The first shipment, including eight crocodiles, was imported from Malaysia and bred in Nopak farm in Hengam Island, Persian Gulf.

Behrouz Salarvand, who runs a crocodile breeding farm in Hengam Island, explained that this farm has 1,300 square meters of pool with capacity to breed 1,000 crocodiles.

The crocodiles have been purchased at 400 million rials, he added.

Although Iran is a dry land, it has many saltwater regions in its coastline, he said. Therefore crocodile breeding can be beneficial, he pointed out.

Salarvand continued that close to 23 types of crocodiles have been identified across the world, of which saltwater crocodile has the best and most durable skin for leather industries.

Saltwater crocodiles can reach a length of 3.5 meters and have a lifespan of 70-80 years, he said. They can be used for industrial purposes after they become three years old, he added.

He explained that crocodile meat is similar to fish meat. It has high nutritious values and low level of cholesterol which is traded between 160,000 and 250,000 rials, he added.

Iran plans to import 200-300 crocodiles within several months to increase the capacity within two years, said Salarvand.

Southern coastline has the best condition for breeding the crocodile, he pointed out. It can turn into crocodile breeding hub, he added.

The official mentioned that the first batch of crocodiles will be slaughtered within three to four years. For the fifth year, some 100 crocodiles will be slaughtered, he said.

According to Salarvand close to 300 short-muzzled crocodiles, known as gando, are kept in protected zones in southwest of Iran.

Gando or the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) (literally crocodile of the marsh) is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries.

Salarvand elaborated that East and South East Asian nations are the major breeders of the crocodile.

The researches indicate that crocodile blood has very strong antibiotic properties which can be useful in treatment of many diseases such as AIDS, he pointed out.

An alligator farm or crocodile farm is an establishment for breeding and raising of crocodilians in order to produce meat, leather, and other goods. Many species of both alligators and crocodiles are farmed internationally.

Farming alligators and crocodiles first grew out of the demand for skins, which can fetch hundreds of dollars apiece. But alligator and crocodile meat, which was long a part of Southern cooking (especially Cajun cuisine) and some Asian and African cuisines, began to be sold later and shipped around the world to markets unfamiliar with crocodilian meat.

Chinese cuisine based on traditional Chinese medicine considers alligator meat to be a curative food for colds and cancer prevention.
Industrial Crocodile Breeding

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