Gland, Switzerland – Following last year’s suspension of the international trade in caviar from wild sturgeon, the United Nations has lifted the ban.
The ban was lifted after the Secretariat of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) confirmed that the main producer states of caviar — Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan agreed to cut the combined catch quotas for sturgeon, whose eggs make caviar. The quotas have been reduced an average of 20 per cent compared with 2005 levels, with reductions of one-third for some species.
According to WWF and TRAFFIC, it is essential that all decisions regarding trade in sturgeon must be made based on the most reliable, accurate and up-to-date scientific information, including knowledge of domestic trade levels, wild sturgeon populations, efficiency of restocking programmes and levels of illegal trade.
“With the publication of the sturgeon quotas today, it is evident that last year’s ban has resulted in range States making a collective effort in improving information collection, strengthening management regimes and enhancing regional cooperation,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF’s Global Species Programme.”
“We will continue to carefully monitor these quotas with concern to ensure that trade is not harming these species in the wild.”
Currently, exports from the Caspian Sea of three sturgeon species will be allowed in 2007 including 27,630kg of caviar of the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), 38,000kg of Persian sturgeon (A. persicus), and 20,337kg of Stellate sturgeon (A. stellatus).
The quotas for Persian and Stellate sturgeon are 25 per cent lower than 2005 levels. However, the quota for Russian sturgeon increased by 23 per cent compared to the 2005 quota.
WWF and TRAFFIC are concerned about the increase in quotas for Russian sturgeon from the Russian Federation.
“Besides the caviar reported in international trade, considerable volumes of caviar are also consumed domestically in Russia and high levels of illegal poaching and trade in caviar have been known to occur there,” Dr Lieberman said.
Illegal trade in caviar continues to be a problem and large seizures of illegal caviar in Europe indicate that there is a thriving black market in the luxury roe, which is threatening the survival of many sturgeon species.
According to CITES, a decision on whether to lift a ban on beluga, the most expensive caviar, was put off for a further month to give producers more time to provide the needed information on stocks and other issues.
“TRAFFIC and WWF are concerned that beluga stocks are indeed at critical levels and are encouraged that a certain degree of caution is being exercised in making a determination on this species,” said Sabri Zain, TRAFFIC’s Director of Advocacy and Campaigns.
“While the publication of these quotas today may indicate progress has been made, we hope that range States continue to address these problems.”
The issue of trade in sturgeons will be further discussed at the next CITES meeting in June 2007.
WWF and TRAFFIC hope that the outcome of these discussions ensures that sturgeon exports reflect current population trends and are sustainable.