08 Feb 2007 - Moscow, Russia – The Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
has lifted a one-year ban on exports of caviar from stocks
of beluga sturgeon and two species of sturgeon from the
Amur River basin.
WWF and TRAFFIC are concerned that the decision is not
based on catch quotas established by the Russian Federation
for 2007. As a result, the two environmental organizations
are encouraging countries not to import caviar from these
sturgeon stocks until the precise scientific and legal basis
upon which these quotas were made are clarified.
“Catch quotas for beluga sturgeons and sturgeons from the
Amur River have been established for scientific and restocking
purposes only, so it is unclear what figures the commercial
export quotas from Russia are based upon,” said Alexey Vaisman,
Senior Programme Officer at TRAFFIC Russia.
According to TRAFFIC, there have been no commercial quotas
established for either kaluga (Huso dauricus) or Amur sturgeon
(Acipenser schrenkii) in recent years, and the catch for
scientific purposes was set at 14 and 3 tonnes respectively
in 2007. This represents about 1,120kg of kaluga caviar
and around 300kg of caviar from Amur sturgeon. The declared
export quotas are 2,560kg and 1,900kg, respectively.
It is unclear if any of these quotas include caviar harvested
or processed in the preceding year, which is not allowed
under CITES.
WWF and TRAFFIC also note that export quotas from Russia
for Russian sturgeon (A. gueldenstaedtii) were increased
from 14,000kg in 2005 to 20,000kg this year. The catch quota
(landed weight of the fish) for this species, however, decreased
from 230 tonnes in 2005 to 110 tonnes in 2007. It is believed
this significant increase in the export of caviar in 2007
is due to plans to decrease the amount of roe used in hatcheries
for artificial reproduction.
“This will be of serious concern for the Russian sturgeon,
which is almost completely dependent on artificial reproduction
for its survival,” Vaisman said. “More than half their spawning
grounds are cut off by dams, and the Lower Volga is practically
devoid of mature females because of illegal fishing.”
According to WWF and TRAFFIC, Russia has yet to implement
a standard labelling system for its caviar exports. CITES
recommends that Parties to the international convention
should not accept shipments of caviar unless they comply
with the provisions of its universal labelling system for
caviar.
Range states around the Caspian Sea — Azerbaijan, Iran,
Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan — have
agreed a combined export quota of 3,761kg of beluga caviar
in 2007, this is 29 per cent lower than in 2005 when trade
in this product was last permitted.
The 2007 export quotas for caviar from Russia are: beluga
(Huso huso) 700kg; Russian sturgeon (A. gueldenstadtii)
20,000kg (up from 14,000kg in 2005); stellate sturgeon (A.
stellatus) 3,500kg; kaluga (Huso dauricus) 2,560kg; and
Amur sturgeon (A. schrenckii) 1,900kg. All five species
are classified by IUCN as "endangered".
Although the levels of trade of beluga and Amur River sturgeons
proposed is lower than those of other sturgeon species,
they are relatively high considering the small and dwindling
populations of these species currently.
“Such high quotas will have a disastrous impact on the
survival of these species,” Vaisman warned. “Each kilo of
caviar represents ten kilogrammes of live fish.”
“All decisions regarding trade in sturgeon must be based
on the most reliable, accurate and up-to-date and scientific
information including knowledge of domestic trade levels,
wild sturgeon populations, efficiency of restocking programmes
and levels of illegal trade,” he added.
“Countries should not import sturgeon from these stocks
until Russia further clarifies the scientific and legal
basis upon which these quotas were made."
END NOTES:
• All 27 sturgeon species were listed in CITES in 1998
and since then international trade in caviar and other sturgeon
products can only take place with the relevant permits.
Joanna Benn, Communications Manager - WWF Global Species
Programme
