WWF-UK: Sturgeon could face commercial extinction
Access key details
This site uses the UK government standard access keys, as shown below:
S - Skip navigation1 - Home page
2 - What's new
3 - Site map
4 - Search
5 - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
9 - Feedback form
0 - Access key details
Section navigation
How you can help
Sturgeon could face commercial extinction
Tuesday 5 December 2000
WWF is warning that some species of sturgeon could be threatened with commercial extinction within a couple of years unless the illegal caviar trade is brought under control.
At a meeting of the Animals Committee of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) from 7 to 9 December, scientists will be reviewing the annual export quotas of caviar-producing countries. "This is the last chance for countries to tackle the sturgeon crisis," said Stuart Chapman, head of WWF's species programme. "Unless clear answers are provided by exporting countries on their sturgeon management efforts, an international ban on caviar could be introduced within six months for the most endangered species."
Sturgeon catches in the Caspian basin, which account for 60 per cent of the world's caviar supply, have dropped from 20,000 tonnes in the late 1970s to just 550 tonnes in 2000. Despite an increase in fishing effort, the official catch has plummeted by nearly 97 per cent in the last 20 years.
Russian anti-poaching patrols and border guards seized over 70 tonnes of caviar this year, but this is estimated to be a fraction of the illegal catch. Over-fishing, for both legal and illegal markets, has continued to undermine the conservation prospects of the species and could herald the collapse of the international caviar market.
"The Russian Mafia is threatening the very existence of a species, and unless urgent action is taken to combat the very real threat of this illegal activity, caviar will become a thing of the past," said Stuart Chapman.
Over 1300kg of caviar has been seized from luggage at UK ports and airports during the last 18 months. In one case, an Iranian man was apprehended with 50kg of caviar - worth around £50,000 - at Heathrow airport. The caviar was confiscated, but the man was released.
Extreme caution
WWF urges consumers to exercise extreme caution when buying caviar, as it is almost impossible to distinguish between legal and illegal products. Consumers should ask traders where their caviar comes from, and if a satisfactory answer is not forthcoming, then they should take their custom elsewhere. In addition to its detrimental effects on sturgeon populations, illegal caviar can contain the chemical preservative borax, which is poisonous.
Sturgeon catches in the Caspian basin, which account for 60 per cent of the world's caviar supply, have dropped from 20,000 tonnes in the late 1970s to just 550 tonnes in 2000. Despite an increase in fishing effort, the official catch has plummeted by nearly 97 per cent in the last 20 years.
Russian anti-poaching patrols and border guards seized over 70 tonnes of caviar this year, but this is estimated to be a fraction of the illegal catch. Over-fishing, for both legal and illegal markets, has continued to undermine the conservation prospects of the species and could herald the collapse of the international caviar market.
"The Russian Mafia is threatening the very existence of a species, and unless urgent action is taken to combat the very real threat of this illegal activity, caviar will become a thing of the past," said Stuart Chapman.
Over 1300kg of caviar has been seized from luggage at UK ports and airports during the last 18 months. In one case, an Iranian man was apprehended with 50kg of caviar - worth around £50,000 - at Heathrow airport. The caviar was confiscated, but the man was released.
Extreme caution
WWF urges consumers to exercise extreme caution when buying caviar, as it is almost impossible to distinguish between legal and illegal products. Consumers should ask traders where their caviar comes from, and if a satisfactory answer is not forthcoming, then they should take their custom elsewhere. In addition to its detrimental effects on sturgeon populations, illegal caviar can contain the chemical preservative borax, which is poisonous.