IWMC.org - eNewsletter - February 2001

eNewsletter

February 2001

IWMC
World Conservation Trust

Sturgeon Specialist Group 1st Meeting

The Sturgeon Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, re-established at the Second IUCN World Conservation Congress (Amman, 2000), held its first meeting in Moscow (Russian Federation) on 9-12 February 2001. The meeting was chaired with competence and efficiency by the Chairman of the Group, Dr Mohammed Pourkazemi from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The first day of the meeting was reserved for the Group members and the last two days were open to other people interested in the conservation of Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish). IWMC World Conservation Trust participated in the last two days.

The meeting gave the opportunity to review the status of populations of various species of the Acipenseriformes family that produce the famous caviar and other products such as meat and skins. The said status is of serious concern in all range States. The Caspian area was at the centre of most debates, as several species occur in its waters, and those of its tributaries. The Caspian Sea produces about 90% of the world caviar. The situation in other parts of the world, where Acipenseriformes can be found, was also discussed.

The meeting confirmed that despite restocking programmes, the illegal catch of sturgeons and the illegal trade in sturgeon products, in particular caviar, are mainly responsible for the current situation. Pollution, the construction of dams and other factors are also responsible in preventing the sturgeons from reaching their spawning grounds. Although not everybody agrees on the level of illegal international trade, it is obvious that CITES had and has a beneficial effect: the level of illegal international trade is much lower now than it used to be. Efforts should nevertheless be continued and reinforced, in particular to make sure that entrepot countries - such as the United Arab Emirates and Turkey - are not used any longer to launder illegal caviar.

The major problem is however the local trade, in particular in the Russian Federation, which appears to be essentially supplied by products originating from illegal catch, estimated as being at least ten times higher than the legal catch.. To solve the problem and to conserve a number of populations of several species at a level at which they could still be exploited, strong enforcement measures have to be taken and quickly. This supposes a strong political willingness, at the highest possible level.

Poaching in the Caspian Sea and other areas is directly linked, in most cases, with the socio-economic conditions of fishermen for whom sturgeons represent the only resource to take care of their families. Bans or restrictions alone will not work, unless they are associated with other measures, in particular the guarantee of a reasonable price for the fish products. The local market for caviar is also characterized by its low price. The sturgeon exploitation and the whole market system needs to be wholly restructured in a manner comparable to that existing in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

For some, discussions of these types of problems might appear to be outside the scope of an IUCN/SSC Specialist Group. We, in IWMC, do not believe so. We strongly believe that the conservation of most sturgeon species is directly associated with their sustainable use. Therefore, the Sturgeon Specialist Group should work with that in mind and act in accordance with what was followed so successfully by the Crocodile Specialist Group. The strong leadership already exercised by Dr Pourkazemi over the Sturgeon Specialist Group is taking the Group in that direction.

For practical conservationists, the listing in Appendix I of any commercially-used sturgeon species, as proposed by certain groups, would have negative effects by favouring the illegal local trade and poaching, and by being detrimental to those directly concerned, especially fishermen.

IWMC is therefore pleased that one of the recommendations of the Moscow meeting is to ask for contacts with other groups and to invite a representative of the Crocodile Specialist Group to present its concept of action at the next meeting.