CITES EXPERTS APPROVED KAZAKHSTAN'S EFFORTS FOR PRESERVING STURGEONS IN THE CASPIAN SEA

A group of experts from Secretariat of Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) welcomed measures undertaken by Kazakhstan for maintaining sturgeons in the Caspian Sea.

CNA was informed in the press office of Kazakh Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment Protection that a group of foreign specialists headed by the deputy Secretary General of CITES James Andrew Armstrong and Chief of Capacity Building Unit Stephen Nash made such decision as a result of their visit to Atirau region of Kazakhstan.

During the meeting with head of Administration of Atirau region Mr. Armstrong expressed concern of the world community over the problem with sturgeons. Therefore, a decision was made this June in Paris on decreeing a moratorium on commercial fishing of sturgeons and prevention of caviar trade on world markets. According to Armstrong, the CITES Secretariat delegation arrived in Kazakhstan "not for punishing" but for clarifying how does the state carry out CITES decision on preserving sturgeons.

While visiting the region the deputy Secretary General of CITES and Chief of Capacity Building Unit examined materials on researches of fishery, calculation of sturgeons amount, problems of the Caspian Sea pollution, peculiarities of sturgeons migration and the questions of natural reproduction, its effectiveness in connection with preserving natural spawning places and hydrologic regime of the Ural river.

Armstrong announced that till the end of the year CITES experts have to give in-depths report on Caspian sturgeons. In case the problems remain, the complete prohibition for selling the sturgeons and caviar can follow in the World. The CITES representatives intend to view the social-economic consequences of holding the moratorium in the region. Besides, till the end of the year the Caspian states will have to implement one more recommendation of CITES aimed at strengthening fish-protecting activity. For this purpose, the representatives of Interpol and Customs organization will be directed to the region to analyze scales of illegal sturgeons fishery and effectiveness of fish-protecting measures presented by the government.