Russian Fisheries Agency proposes extending commercial ban on sturgeon fishing in Caspian Sea - agency head
ST. PETERSBURG. May 22 (Interfax) - The Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) proposes that Caspian littoral states extend the commercial ban on sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea.
"Our primary objective is to maintain the commercial ban on sturgeon fishing, particularly concerning the Caspian's most valuable stock," Rosrybolovstvo head Ilya Shestakov said at the 11th Nevsky International Environmental Congress in St. Petersburg on Thursday.
This ban was originally implemented by Caspian littoral states in 2013, he said.
The Caspian Sea's ichthyofauna comprises 150 species, 30 of which are commercially valuable, Shestakov said. "Unfortunately, regarding sturgeon species, some have already been lost, with only isolated specimens remaining that likely cannot be restored. This persists despite state efforts to replenish aquatic biological resources," he said. This justifies maintaining the commercial fishing ban, he said.
Current Caspian sturgeon fishing is permitted solely for scientific research or reproduction purposes, he said. "Russia has conducted the largest sturgeon release volumes in recent years. Our scientists completed molecular and genetic identification of all species. For Russian sturgeon specifically, 80% of current stocks originate from hatchery-released juveniles," he said. "Essentially, discontinuing reproduction efforts would mean losing even our remaining sturgeon populations."
Shestakov confirmed that per agreements within the Commission for Conservation and Rational Use of Caspian Aquatic Biological Resources, the next marine sturgeon survey will occur by August 2027. "This will be synchronized temporally and crucially, conducted using standardized methodology," he said.
Shestakov supports continuing collaborative efforts in sturgeon reproduction, juvenile release and fisheries protection. "Poaching exists, but we possess all necessary means to strengthen countermeasures. This remains a top priority," he said.
Addressing forum concerns about Caspian Sea shallowing and warming, Shestakov said, "While weather lies beyond our control, we can mitigate other factors limiting aquatic resource restoration."
As reported, Caspian littoral states (Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) extended the sturgeon fishing moratorium through 2025 in December 2024.
The Commission for the Conservation and Rational Use of Aquatic Biological Resources of the Caspian Sea and the Management of Their Shared Stocks was established under an agreement signed in Astrakhan in September 2014 by representatives of all Caspian littoral states. In spring 2016, the document was ratified by all participating countries and entered into force. The agreement provides for the commission's authority to adopt decisions that are binding on the member states. The commission's first session was held in Baku in late November 2017.
Russia banned commercial beluga fishing in the Volga-Caspian basin in 2000, with sturgeon and stellate sturgeon prohibitions following in 2005.
The Caspian maintains the world's richest sturgeon biodiversity. Peak catches reached 39,400 tonnes in the early 20th century and 27,400 tonnes by the late 1970s, before sharp declines post-1991.
