President Ilham Aliyev has approved amendments to the laws “On State Fees” and “Licenses and Permits,” adopted by the Milli Majlis on July 14.
Sea-news.az reports that under the new legislation, a state fee of 70 manats will be charged for issuing registration certificates to aquaculture farms in Azerbaijan.
The updated regulations stem directly from the newly enacted “Law on Fisheries,” which stipulates that aquaculture activities in fishery water bodies must be conducted based on an official “aquaculture farm registration certificate,” subject to a state fee.
When issuing this certificate, competent authorities carry out compliance evaluations, expert reviews, and administrative procedures. Implementing this state fee helps partially offset administrative costs while reinforcing legal uniformity and encouraging the legalization of industry operations.
Additionally, the “Law on Licenses and Permits” has been amended to include the aquaculture farm registration certificate in the official “List of Permits Granted for Entrepreneurship Activities.”
This adjustment strengthens systemic state oversight over the management of aquatic bioresources. By bridging the legal gap between natural resource exploitation and artificial cultivation, it creates a unified and consistent regulatory model.
Previously, while commercial fishing from natural stocks was regulated through strict permit mechanisms, aquaculture activities were largely limited to basic registration procedures. However, aquaculture is a complex undertaking involving water resource utilization, environmental intervention, and biological balancing.
The updated regulatory model shifts state oversight from a reactive stage to a proactive, preventive phase, allowing authorities to identify potential ecological and operational risks in advance. This approach is strongly supported by international best practices, particularly the principles established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
