Understanding the Global Caviar Market

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Understanding the Global Caviar Market TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Reproduction of material appearing in this report requires written permission from the publisher. The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC or its supporting organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Published by: TRAFFIC, Cambridge, United Kingdom. © TRAFFIC 2018. Copyright of material published in this report is vested in TRAFFIC. ISSN 0267-4297 ISBN no: 978-1-85850-436-0 UK Registered Charity No. 1076722 Suggested citation: Harris, L. and Shiraishi. H. (2018). Understanding the global caviar market. Results of a rapid assessment of trade in sturgeon caviar. TRAFFIC and WWF joint report. Cover image credit: Thomas Hawk/ Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 2.0) 2 TRAFFIC report: Understanding the global caviar market. UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL CAVIAR MARKET Results of a rapid assessment on trade in sturgeon caviar Lindsey Harris and Hiromi Shiraishi 3 TRAFFIC report: Understanding the global caviar market. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ................................................................................................. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 7 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 13 BACKGROUND ON INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL STURGEON TRADE ............................ 13 METHODS ............................................................................................................................................ 15 THE REGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL STURGEON TRADE ...................................................... 19 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................................ 22 CITES trade in sturgeon ............................................................................................................... 22 Global Caviar Seizures ............................................................................................................... 30 Rapid Assessments ....................................................................................................................... 32 Russia ........................................................................................................................................... 32 Germany & France.................................................................................................................. 40 China ........................................................................................................................................... 46 USA ............................................................................................................................................... 48 Japan .......................................................................................................................................... 54 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................ 61 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 69 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 72 ANNEX I: Table & Figures ................................................................................................................ 74 ANNEX II: Anecdotal information gathered on other caviar markets .............................. 86 ANNEX III: Summary of media article review in Russia ........................................................... 88 ANNEX IV: Summary of open source information on caviar seizures from TRAFFIC’s global seizure database ................................................................................................................ 91 4 TRAFFIC report: Understanding the global caviar market. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS BArtSchV - Federal Regulation for the Protection of Species, Germany BfN - Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany BNatSchG – Federal Nature Conservation Act, Germany CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora EEU – Eurasian Economic Union ESA – Endangered Species Act, USA EU – European Union EU-TWIX – European Union–Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange METI – Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan NOAA – U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service RDBRF – Red Data Book of the Russian Federation UK – United Kingdom USA – United States of America USFWS – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service USSR – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics WCO – World Customs Organization 5 TRAFFIC report: Understanding the global caviar market. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors thank TRAFFIC colleagues, especially Katalin Kecse-Nagy, Louisa Musing, Robin Sawyer, Crawford Allan, Magdalena Norwisz, Ling Xu, Ryoko Nishino, Sabri Zain, Gayle Burgess, Stephanie Pendry, Richard Thomas and Julie Gray for the ongoing support provided and for their reviews. The authors also thank WWF colleagues Beate Striebel-Greiter, Jutta Jahrl, Stéphane Ringuet, Arnulf Köhncke and Colman O’Criodain for their collaboration and input. Special thanks are due to Alexander Moiseev, WWF Russia for conducting the surveys and interviews in the Russian Federation. Thanks also go to the staff from CITES Management and enforcement authorities in the countries where the rapid assessments took place for information provided on legislation and current enforcement measures in place and all those who took part in interviews for the study. WWF Netherlands and WWF DCP are gratefully thanked for their financial support of this study. 6 TRAFFIC report: Understanding the global caviar market. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sturgeon and paddlefish populations have been declining globally due to, among other factors, habitat degradation and overexploitation, including illegal fishing. Of the 27 species of sturgeon and paddlefish, 85% are now on the brink of extinction (WWF, 2017). In response to this and to ensure trade is sustainable, since 1998, all species of sturgeon and paddlefish have been listed on Appendix I or II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) whereby international commercial trade is prohibited or only authorised with the relevant CITES documents granted by the CITES authorities1. Despite the introduction of CITES regulations and the rapid growth of aquaculture production, the high price and rarity of certain sturgeon and paddlefish species as well as a long-term investment to produce caviar from farmed sturgeons makes illegal trade of caviar and poaching of sturgeons and paddlefish attractive. There are several types of illegal trade of caviar and sturgeon products identified through the study, which include: Caviar and sturgeon meat taken from allegedly poached wild stocks are on sale at open air markets, “under the counter”, or through individual contacts or online offers; Caviar labelling is not in compliance with the relevant CITES Resolution (e.g. labelling not containing all required information); Wild sourced caviar from sturgeon species can be deliberately mislabelled as aquaculture derived species to allow laundering through the legal trade; Aquaculture derived products are deliberately declared as wild sourced or different species to sell at a higher price. Falsified or forged CITES documents, or genuine CITES documents issued corruptly, are used to permit exports. The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of global caviar markets, specifically: To look for any evidence of illegal trade in caviar and to identify the type of illegality, e.g. non-compliance with labelling, laundering/mis-labelling, modus operandi; To identify geographical hotspots for trade in caviar; To obtain an initial understanding of consumer attitudes towards consumption of caviar to explore what factors drive demand. This study was intended to provide a rapid assessment of caviar trade globally. Therefore, physical market surveys were limited to only one city in each country in order to obtain a snapshot of the situation. Furthermore, it was not possible to collect detailed information concerning fishing regulations and production of each species in the countries reviewed in the scope of this project. The international trade in caviar was reviewed through analysis of CITES trade data for 2010–2015 and analysis of caviar seizure data based on CITES trade data for US seizures between 2010 and 2015 (source code “I”: confiscated or seized specimens) and EU-TWIX2 data between 2010 and 2016, 1 For species listed on Appendix II, CITES documents should only be granted if trade is not detrimental to the survival of species in the wild. 2 European Union–Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange – the system
Recommended publications
  • Beluga Caviar Siberian Attilus Sturgeon Caviar Attilus
    0 caviars and gourmeProducts t foods OneBlack stop caviar source for delicious first Red caviarclass delicacies. Truffles See our products Foie gras Smoked fish Gift box About Wholesale Black caviar Red caviar Blog Bar & Lounge Contact Foie gras Smoked fish Truffles Gift Box Best sellers Oscietra Caviar Special Reserve BELUGA STURGEON Kaluga Caviar Beluga sturgeon From $62.00 From $84.00 Add to cart Add to cart Join our mailing list Email Subscribe Products Affiliate Program Company Contact FAQ Terms EN RU PO C 2006 - 2020 OLMA IV Inc. All Rights Reserved 0 caviars and gourmeProducts t foods AboutOne stop source for delicious first class delicacies. Wholesale See our products Blog Bar & Lounge Contact Black caviar Red caviar Foie gras Smoked fish Truffles Gift Box Best sellers Oscietra Caviar Special Reserve BELUGA STURGEON Kaluga Caviar Beluga sturgeon From $62.00 From $84.00 Add to cart Add to cart Join our mailing list Email Subscribe Products Affiliate Program Company Contact FAQ Terms EN RU PO 2006 - 2020 OLMA IV Inc. All Rights Reserved 0 Black caviar Go back Home / Black caviar Oscietra Caviar Special Reserve BELUGA STURGEON Kaluga Caviar Beluga sturgeon From $62.00 From $84.00 Add to cart Add to cart BELUGA CAVIAR SIBERIAN ATTILUS STURGEON CAVIAR ATTILUS From $145.00 From $92.00 Add to cart Add to cart Caviar royal Baerii caviar oscietra ATTILUS ATTILUS From $145.00 From $92.00 Add to cart Add to cart 1 2 3 4 5 Brands BELUGA STURGEON (9) SIBERIAN OSETRA AURORA CAVIAR (6) ATTILUS BELUGA CAVIAR (8) HACKLEBACK STURGEON (8) PADDLEFISH CAVIAR (6) WHITE STURGEON (9) KALUGE ROYAL CAVIAR (8) Join our mailing list Email Subscribe Products Affiliate Program Company Contact FAQ Terms EN RU PO 2006 - 2020 OLMA IV Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Explorers, Traders &Immigrants
    Explorers, Traders Immigrants Tracking the Cultural and Social Impacts &of the Global Commodity Trade A Curriculum Unit for Grades 9 – 12 i ii Explorers, Traders Immigrants Tracking the Cultural and Social Impacts &of the Global Commodity Trade Primary Researchers: Natalie Arsenault, Outreach Director Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies Christopher Rose, Assistant Director Center for Middle Eastern Studies Allegra Azulay, Outreach Coordinator Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies Rachel Meyer, Outreach Coordinator South Asia Institute Hemispheres The International Outreach Consortium at the University of Texas at Austin http://www.utexas.edu/cola/orgs/hemispheres/ [email protected] iii Explorers, Traders & Immigrants: Tracking the Cultural and Social Impacts of the Global Commodity Trade Publication Date: October 2008 This unit contains copyrighted material, which remains the property of the individual copyright holders. Permission is granted to reproduce this unit for classroom use only. Please do not redistribute this unit without prior permission. For more information, please see: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/orgs/hemispheres/ iv Table of Contents Explorers, Traders & Immigrants: Tracking the Cultural and Social Impacts of the Global Commodity Trade Table of Contents Introduction . vii Standards Alignment . ix National Geography Standards Alignment . xi Blank World Map . xiii Image Analysis Worksheet . xv Caviar: From Elite Treat to Marketing Magic .................................. 1 Introduction . 2 Section 1: A Common Russian Delicacy . 3 Section 2: Crisis in the Caspian . 7 Section 3: The Rise and Fall of the Atlantic Sturgeon Trade . 14 Section 4: The Marketing and Politics of a Banned Luxury . 20 Graphic Organizer 1 . 25 Graphic Organizer 2 . 26 Chocolate: From New World Currency to Global Addiction ......................
    [Show full text]
  • Appetizers Salads Seafood Plateau Raw
    APPETIZERS g uah Ligurian olives, pickled artichokes, Tête de Moine cheese, salmon bruschetta, tuna paste, figs, guacamole and crunchy croutons 330 455 Tuna bruschetta 140 185 NEW Bruschetta with smoked sea bass 150 278 Bruschetta with crab meat 200 415 Artichoke carpaccio with truffle dressing 150 315 Crispy fried zucchini and eggplant with yogurt sauce 180 125 Shrimp popcorn with japanese mayonnaise 160/50 285 Crabcake with japanese mayonnaise 130/30 485 Fritto misto with squid, shrimps, sea bass, green onion and zucchini 220/50/30 295 Mussels with wine sauce and crispy baguette 500/50 275 SALADS NEW Caesar salad with tiger prawns and crispy Parma ham 270 535 NEW Nicoise salad with Yellow Fin Tuna 280 315 NEW Ceviche with mango and avocado 270 275 NEW Stracciatella with juicy tomatoes 170 345 Green salad with zucchini, avocado, lettuce leaves and radish 200 178 Mozzarella burrata with cherry tomatoes 250 286 Seafood salad 300 655 Salad with octopus, potatoes and smoked cherry tomatoes 230 478 Crab salad 230 615 SEAFOOD PLATEAU Small plateau of seafood (shrimps, bulots, crab phalanges, salmon, Gamba Roja shrimp and tuna sashimi, 3 Fine de Claire oysters №2, 3 Gillardeau oysters №2) 980/250 2 690 Big plateau of seafood (shrimps, bulots, lobster, 3 Fine de Claire oysters №2, 3 Gillardeau oysters №2, 3 White Pearl oysters №2, tuna sashimi, salmon sashimi, scallop sashimi) 1200/450 4 980 RAW BAR NEW Salmon ceviche with mango and kimchi sauce 160 355 Sea bass ceviche 190 325 Piquant ceviche with dorado 220 325 Salmon poke with Japanese mayonnaise
    [Show full text]
  • Cold Starters Ice Plateau of Local Seafood Hot
    COLD STARTERS Mix of greens and herbs, fresh vegetables, truffle dressing 350 Assorted Greek olives 350 SET №1 Oyster, tapioca, relish, aloe (VEGETABLES) 440 1 950 Oyster Fin de clair, black caviar 650 Beetroot rose with almond mousse Turkey and rabbit liver pate, brioche, stewed onions, seasonal berries 450 Fresh zucchini with avocado mousse and pine nuts Dim Sum with beetroot and wasabi sauce Ripe tomatoes, shallots, tomato water, basil, mustard oil 500 Celery root steak with truffle caviar Beef tartare, red caviar, mousse eggplant miso Avocado / Yogurt / Feijoa 650 Fresh scallops, lemon marmalade, relish, seasonal berries, young peas 650 WINE ACCOMPANIMENT Avocado tartare, black caviar FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE 990 950 ICE PLATEAU OF LOCAL SEAFOOD Chardonnay Vintage Fanagoria, Russia .................................. 125ml King crab leg, fresh scallop, «Khasanskaya» oysters, Caberne Fran Rose Winemaker & Sommelier, Russia ..... 125ml shrimps: Sakhalin chilim, sea dragons, northern angle-tailed 7500 NOT OURS, BUT LOVELY HOT STARTERS 1200 Beef tails, cumin oat chip, mustard, honey 590 Prosecco Belstar, Brut, Italy ........................................................... 125ml Chablis La Pierrelée, La Chablisienne, France ..................... 125ml Langoustine, cauliflower, miso, rhubarb, iceberg sauce 750 Сrab, spinach, potato croquet, aioli 890 Potatoes, strachatella, black caviar 990 SOUP Young asparagus cream 490 Okroshka with kefir: sturgeon, seaweed, seasonal vegetables, northern pike caviar 650 MAIN COURSE Duck, onion caramel,
    [Show full text]
  • Fatty Acid and Amino Acid Profiles of Domestic
    e Rese tur arc ul h c & a u D q e A v e f l o o Ovissipour and Rasco J Aquac Res Development 2011, 2:3 l p a m n Journal of Aquaculture r e u n o t DOI: 10.4172/2155-9546.1000113 J ISSN: 2155-9546 Research & Development Research Article OpenOpen Access Access Fatty acid and Amino acid Profiles of Domestic and Wild Beluga (Huso huso) Roe and Impact on Fertilization Ratio Mahmoudreza Ovissipour1 and Barbara Rasco2* 1Department of Fisheries, Gorgan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Gorgan, P.O. Box 49138, Iran 2School of Food Science, Washington State University, P.O. Box 646376, Pullman, Washington. USA 99164-6376 Abstract A comparison of the fatty acid, amino acid and proximate composition between the roe of wild and cultivated beluga (Huso huso) sturgeon from Iran are presented here. The fatty acid profile varied between wild and cultivated sturgeons but there was no differences observed for proximate composition and amino acid profile. The wild sturgeon roe contained higher amounts of n-3 fatty acids particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) (wild: 2.9%, cultivated: 1.24%) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) (wild: 5.1%, cultivated: 2.38%). Linolenic and linoleic acids were the predominant fatty acids in roe from cultivated beluga, a reflection of diet and also a likely physiological adaptation to a higher temperature environment. Low levels of PUFA in cultivated sturgeon negatively affected fertilization and hatching ratios which were significantly lower than for the wild fish. Hence, in order to culture beluga, feed with higher fatty acid with more n-3 is necessary to reach high quality roe and fertilization and hatching ratio.
    [Show full text]
  • Diet and Growth of 1+ Siberian Sturgeon, Acipenser Baerii in Alternative Pond Culture
    Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 7: 153-160 (2007) Diet and Growth of 1+ Siberian Sturgeon, Acipenser baerii in Alternative Pond Culture Zdeněk Adámek1,*, Miroslav Prokeš2, Vlastimil Baruš2, Ivo Sukop3 1 Research Inst. of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, University of South Bohemia, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic. 2 Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic. 3 Department of Zoology, Fisheries, Hydrobiology and Apiculture, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Nejdecká 600, 691 44 Lednice na Moravě, Czech Republic. * Corresponding Author: Tel: +420 543 422 523; Fax: +420 543 211 346; Received 16 July 2007 E-mail: [email protected] Accepted 20 September 2007 Abstract The culture of 1+ Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) was performed in concrete storage ponds with natural water temperature regime during the growing season. Fish were separated into two groups – with supplementary feeding using trout -1 pellets (FF) and control variant (CF). Specific growth rates in FF and CF were 0.26 and 0.16%.day in length and 0.53 and 0.18%.day-1 in weight, respectively. The average indices of weight condition rose from initial 0.377 and 0.372 to final values of 0.393 and 0.322 in FF and CF, respectively. Fish diet consisted of 25 food items. Chironomid larvae, cladocerans (Daphnia sp.) and detritus prevailed in fish guts with 40.4 – 52.8, 19.1 - 28.8 and 16.3 – 19.4%, respectively. Pelleted feed occurred in 8.7% proportion in one third of examined FF fish.
    [Show full text]
  • Iucn Red Data List Information on Species Listed On, and Covered by Cms Appendices
    UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC4/Doc.8/Rev.1/Annex 1 ANNEX 1 IUCN RED DATA LIST INFORMATION ON SPECIES LISTED ON, AND COVERED BY CMS APPENDICES Content General Information ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Species in Appendix I ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Mammalia ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Aves ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Reptilia ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Pisces .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2012 Wildearth Guardians and Friends of Animals Petition to List
    PETITION TO LIST Fifteen Species of Sturgeon UNDER THE U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT Submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service March 8, 2012 Petitioners WildEarth Guardians Friends of Animals 1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 301 777 Post Road, Suite 205 Denver, Colorado 80202 Darien, Connecticut 06820 303.573.4898 203.656.1522 INTRODUCTION WildEarth Guardians and Friends of Animals hereby petitions the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)1 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (hereinafter referred as the Secretary), to list fifteen critically endangered sturgeon species as “threatened” or “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.). The fifteen petitioned sturgeon species, grouped by geographic region, are: I. Western Europe (1) Acipenser naccarii (Adriatic Sturgeon) (2) Acipenser sturio (Atlantic Sturgeon/Baltic Sturgeon/Common Sturgeon) II. Caspian Sea/Black Sea/Sea of Azov (3) Acipenser gueldenstaedtii (Russian Sturgeon) (4) Acipenser nudiventris (Ship Sturgeon/Bastard Sturgeon/Fringebarbel Sturgeon/Spiny Sturgeon/Thorn Sturgeon) (5) Acipenser persicus (Persian Sturgeon) (6) Acipenser stellatus (Stellate Sturgeon/Star Sturgeon) III. Aral Sea and Tributaries (endemics) (7) Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi (Syr-darya Shovelnose Sturgeon/Syr Darya Sturgeon) (8) Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni (Dwarf Sturgeon/Little Amu-Darya Shovelnose/Little Shovelnose Sturgeon/Small Amu-dar Shovelnose Sturgeon) (9) Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni (False Shovelnose Sturgeon/Amu Darya Shovelnose Sturgeon/Amu Darya Sturgeon/Big Amu Darya Shovelnose/Large Amu-dar Shovelnose Sturgeon/Shovelfish) IV. Amur River Basin/Sea of Japan/Sea of Okhotsk (10) Acipenser mikadoi (Sakhalin Sturgeon) (11) Acipenser schrenckii (Amur Sturgeon) (12) Huso dauricus (Kaluga) V.
    [Show full text]
  • Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser Dabryanus) - Sturgeons
    Pond Life - Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) - Sturgeons http://www.pond-life.me.uk/sturgeon/acipenserdabryanus.php Search Pond Life... Home Sturgeons Koi Other Fish Fish Health Ponds Plants Forums Contents Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) Home Sturgeons Acipenseriformes Sturgeon Food & Feeding Sturgeon Care Sheet Sturgeon Guide Sturgeon Species List Adriatic Sturgeon Alabama Sturgeon Amu Darya Sturgeon Amur Sturgeon Atlantic Sturgeon Beluga Sturgeon Chinese Paddlefish Chinese Sturgeon Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) photo from the website of CAFS Common Sturgeon (http://zzzy.fishinfo.cn/) Diamond Sturgeon Dwarf Sturgeon by Karen Paul Green Sturgeon Description: The Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) has 8-13 dorsal scutes, 26-39 lateral Gulf Sturgeon scutes, 9-13 ventral scutes, 44-57 dorsal fin rays and 25-36 anal fin rays. Colouration ranges from Kaluga Sturgeon dark grey to brown-grey on the back to white on the ventral side. The body is rough because it is Lake Sturgeon covered with small pointed denticles. The four barbels are located closer to the mouth than the end Paddlefish of the snout. The Yangtze Sturgeon can reach 1.3 meters in length and a weight of 16kg. Pallid Sturgeon Persian Sturgeon Sakhalin Sturgeon Ship Sturgeon Shortnose Sturgeon Shovelnose Sturgeon Siberian Sturgeon Stellate Sturgeon Sterlet Syr Darya Sturgeon White Sturgeon Yangtze Sturgeon Sturgeon Videos Koi Other Fish Fish Health Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) photo from the website of CAFS Ponds (http://zzzy.fishinfo.cn/) Plants Forums Wild Distribution: Asia; restricted to the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River system, Search rarely seen below the Gezhouba Dam. The Yangtze Sturgeon is a potamodromous (freshwater only) species.
    [Show full text]
  • Brochure: Sturgeon Identification Guide
    Andrey Nekrasov © Photo: STURGEON IDENTIFICATION GUIDE Identification of Sturgeon Species This guide was designed to support the identification of sturgeon species that can be found in the Danube and the Black Sea. It describes seven sturgeon species - one of them an exotic species popular in aquaculture - and three hybrids. The guide also offers detailed features that can be used to differentiate between the species. The primary goal of this guide is to help law enforcement officials identify sturgeon species they may encounter through their work. WHAT IS A STURGEON? Sturgeons and paddlefishes, also referred to scientifically as Acipenseriformes, are a group of ancient fish originating more than 200 million years ago. They migrate mostly in order to spawn and live in freshwater, coastal waters and seas of the Northern Hemisphere. According to the IUCN*, 23 of the 27 species are on the brink of extinction, being thus the most critically endangered group of species on Earth. *International Union for Conservation of Nature Sturgeons have quite unique features: Depending on the species, Five rows of bony scutes: Two nostrils on the snout smaller scutes can also be one row along the back, found in between the rows two along both sides, If a fish has only of the larger scutes, behind and two on the belly one nostril, it is the dorsal fin and along the most likely from anal fin, which can be a very aquaculture. important characteristic for differentiation. Four barbels in front of the © Rosen Bonov mouth, either closer to the mouth or closer to the tip of the snout Photo: A heterocercal tail, meaning Either a round or a pointed the upper lobe of the tail fin is snout with the mouth sitting longer than the lower lobe on the bottom of the head An individual from aquaculture, Austria 2018 Beluga (Huso huso) The color is steel grayish-blue With adult individuals, the side scutes are the colour of the body and number around 40-50 The mouth is very big, crescent shaped and reaches the edges of The barbels the head.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wild Sturgeon Populations of the NW Black Sea and Lower Danube River in Romania
    Conservation and sustainable use of wild sturgeon populations of the NW Black Sea and Lower Danube River in Romania Raluca Elena Rogin Marine Coastal Development Submission date: June 2011 Supervisor: Egil Sakshaug, IBI Norwegian University of Science and Technology Department of Biology Abstract Sturgeons belong to one of the oldest families of bony fish in existence, having their first appearance in the fossil records approximately 200 million years ago. Their natural habitats are found in the subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America. In the Romanian waters, five anadromous species of sturgeon, out of the total 25 species known by science, once migrated from the Black Sea into the Danube for spawning: beluga; Huso huso , Russian sturgeon; Acipenser gueldenstaedtii , stellate sturgeon; A. stellatus , ship sturgeon; A. nudiventris and the European Atlantic sturgeon; A. sturio (Knight, 2009). The NW Black Sea and Lower Danube River sturgeons, like many Acipenserids, were seriously affected by the rapid changes brought by human development. Being one of the finest caviar producers in the world they were intensively harvested for many centuries. Heavy uncontrolled fishing and destruction of habitat led to the collapse of most of the Acipenserids and the total disappearance of the European Atlantic sturgeon (A. sturio ) from the NW Black Sea. Worldwide public attention was focused on sturgeon conservation after their listing in the IUCN Red List of Threatened species in 1996. In 1998, after evaluating their abundance in the wild, CITES also decided to strictly regulate the international trade in all Acipenserids. The paper aims to analyze and review conservation measures that were taken locally, nationally and internationally by humans and the effect they had on one of Europe’s only naturally reproducing sturgeon populations.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan
    NEPA Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan An Output of the National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment for Global Environment Management (NCSA) for Afghanistan June 2008 United Nations Environment Programme Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch First published in Kabul in 2008 by the United Nations Environment Programme. Copyright © 2008, United Nations Environment Programme. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. United Nations Environment Programme Darulaman Kabul, Afghanistan Tel: +93 (0)799 382 571 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.unep.org DISCLAIMER The contents of this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of UNEP, or contributory organizations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Unless otherwise credited, all the photos in this publication have been taken by the UNEP staff. Design and Layout: Rachel Dolores
    [Show full text]