Water resources are essential to the development of aquaculture and fisheries, said Atakhan Badalov, head of the Water Use and Protection Oversight Department at the State Service for Oversight of Water Use and Protection under the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency.
Report informs that Badalov was speaking at the first Azerbaijan Regional Aquaculture Forum in Baku.
He said the service was working with businesses to raise awareness about water use.
“Unfortunately, for many years, many organizations set up aquaculture operations before considering how much water they would need,” Badalov said.
He said anyone using a body of water for special purposes must obtain a permit. Decree No. 554 sets out the conditions and procedures for issuing such permits, he added.
“Thanks to initiatives by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Center, the State Service for Oversight of Water Use and Protection, the Fisheries Association and entrepreneurs themselves, we have already received applications from nearly 270 businesses and organizations engaged in fisheries within a short period,” he said.
Badalov added that many applicants had already received special water-use permits. He said the permits help authorities keep accurate records of water withdrawals, wastewater discharges and the use of water areas, while allowing businesses to operate in compliance with legal requirements.