Agreement on preserving biological resources of Caspian Sea could be signed in second half of 2014
MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax) - The agreement on the preservation and rational use of biological resources of the Caspian Sea, stipulating a 5-year moratorium on catching sturgeon, could be signed in the second half of 2014 at the 4th Caspian summit of presidents of countries bordering the Caspian in Astrakhan, the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency (Rosrybolovstvo) said.
It is expected that prior to the summit the document will be discussed at a meeting of representatives of Caspian bordering states in Astrakhan in Q1 2014. Then it will be prepared for signing by presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
The draft agreement stipulates establishing a committee on maritime biological resources of the Caspian and managing fishery and also forms a mechanism of introducing the moratorium for catching sturgeon and other issues.
It has been reported that during the recently held meeting of the committee on Caspian maritime biological resources the Caspian bordering states decided to stop catching sturgeon in 2014.
Russia has not been catching sturgeon on an industrial scale of since 2002 and only small catches in scientific purposes are permitted. Several years ago Russia proposed to Caspian countries to introduce a five-year moratorium on industrial harvests of sturgeon.
The Caspian Sea accounts for 96% of the global stock of sturgeon. However, the population of sturgeon included in the Red List has been seriously affected by poachers and human impact.
The latest incidents reported by Rosrybolovstvo show the scale of poaching. A total of 1,682 kg frozen sturgeon and great sturgeon, 29 kg smoked sturgeon and 36.4 kg black caviar have been recently found and seized at a Moscow market. A road accident in the Tambov region on the Astrakhan-Moscow highway has helped to reveal contraband caviar. When inspecting the vehicle involved in the accident 119 plastic and tin containers with sturgeon caviar of 43.3 kg have been found and seized.