Reuters: Caspian Sturgeon on the Brink of Complete Extinction - 2003-11-19

The number of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea has decreased by 90% over the past 30 years, and it seems that the countries around the Caspian Sea, except for Iran, are indifferent to the complete extinction of this fish. According to Christian Oliver, a Reuters correspondent dispatched to the port of Anzali in Iran, sturgeon fishermen are well aware that fishing for this fish in the deep waters of the Caspian Sea can cost them their lives and lead to their boats sinking. Many have lost friends in this pursuit, but generation after generation of fishermen risk their lives battling the waves for this massive fish, for which the wealthy pay $2,000 per kilogram for caviar. The report adds that the fishermen of Anzali are not afraid of the fierce waves, but rather fear that illegal and excessive fishing and oil pollution in the Caspian Sea will completely wipe out the dwindling sturgeon population. Experts estimate that since the late 1970s, the number of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea has dropped by 90%, and it seems that Iran is the only country that has taken action in this regard. Fereydoun Azari, head of the sturgeon quality control department in Anzali, states, "The Islamic Republic is dealing more strictly with illegal sturgeon fishing, and offenders are not only fined three times the value of their catch, but their boats are confiscated and they are sentenced to imprisonment." Christian Oliver further notes that illegal fishing, which has significantly increased due to the indifference of security officials in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, is only one aspect of the sturgeon extinction issue. Fereydoun Azari tells the reporter, "Pollution from oil extraction operations, especially in Azerbaijan, is not only killing aquatic life in the Caspian Sea by the thousands, but soon will make swimming in the Caspian waters impossible for humans. However, it seems that only Iran is considering solving the issue and is combating extinction through measures such as creating large networks for breeding sturgeon and releasing them into the sea." Mohammad Pourkazemi, head of the International Sturgeon Research Institute, also notes, "Every year, over 20 million juvenile sturgeon are introduced into the waters of the Caspian Sea through a chain of research facilities, and the fact that the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species has increased Iran's catch quota in its coastal waters indicates the success of Iran's actions in this area. However, this body simultaneously condemns Iran for fishing for beluga, which is a migratory sturgeon species, and criticizes Iran's fishing in international waters." According to Reuters, despite this, the future of sturgeon largely depends on the future operations of the Caspian Sea countries in extracting oil resources from the seabed of this sea. If the coastal states of the Caspian Sea conclude that the revenues from oil extraction in this region outweigh the environmental preservation and income from caviar sales, they should begin mourning for this fish, which has existed for 250 million years.