Faculty of Animal Science and Fisheries

Human beings began domesticating animals more than 10,000 years ago beginning with dogs. Ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) were the first food animals to be domesticated followed by pigs, possibly to dispose of table scraps and waste products. During the last 20 years, animal science related technologies have developed quickly, thanks to computers. The revolutionized processes such as estrus synchronization agents, embryo transfer techniques, molecular genetics and immunologic studies have immensely affected animal production and processing methods and marketing potentials.
The Faculty of Animal Science and Fisheries began its educational activities in 2005 and currently consist of two departments; Animal Science and Fisheries. The history of the Department of Animal Science can be traced back to 1973 whereas the Department of Fisheries was established in 1999.Faculty of Animal Science and Fisheries offers outstanding opportunities to students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels which would enable them to pursue their own future.
The achievements of the faculty during the last three years are as follows:

• Establishment of a pilot research aquarium center and two multi-functional fisheries laboratories
• Founding of a sheep farm research station
• Establishment of an  egg-layer chicken's research workshop
• Supplying of an animal nutrition laboratory and a molecular genetics laboratory
• Submitting and publishing many peer reviewed papers at conferences and national and international journals by academic members
• Inauguration of several national symposium and congress in the fields of animal science and fisheries at Sari University

Since, the high price of sturgeon caviar allows fishermen to afford bribes to ensure the authorities look the other way, it makes regulations in many locations ineffective. Caviar harvesting further endangers the fish stocks, since it targets reproductive females. Accordingly, some research projects in the Department ofFisheries have focused on rearing sturgeon fish in captivity condition and feeding by live and artificial diets.

Subject areas at undergraduate and postgraduate levels