TEHRAN — Around 80 percent of Iran’s seafood has been exported to Iraq, Germany, France, UAE and Kuwait during the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21,2006).

In the first seven months of the current year, marine products worth about $30,823,000 were exported abroad however, fish and sea products valued at $24 million were sent to Iraq, Germany, Kuwait, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a statement released by Iran’s Customs Administration said on Wednesday.

The values of the sea products exported to the nations during the seven-month period were as follows: $348,371 to Iraq, $3,112,437 to Germany, $3,066,527 to Kuwait, $2,745,993 to France and $2,675,547 to the UAE, the MNA news agency said adding that the exported products weighed around 16,257 tons.

Based on the report, Iran’s exports of the products increased by 211.6 percent and 197 percent in terms of weight and value, respectively.

Meanwhile, varieties of shrimps valued at about $4,299,732 were exported to the destinations during the period indicating some 55.9 percent growth as compared with the figures last year.

Fresh, frozen and smoked fish accounted for the largest bulk of the exported marine products in the first seven months of the Iranian year.