2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Huso huso
although studies of some populations have been undertaken (A. Tsekov, in litt. to UNEP-
WCMC, 2011).
Based on catches of the countries of the lower sector of the Danube river, the CITES
Management Authority of Bulgaria (T. Slaveykova in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011) estimated
that the breeding population of H. huso may be around 1500-3000 individuals, with probably
less than one quarter able to reach spawning sites. The use of natural spawn sites in the
Danube River was considered to be far from optimal (Jivkov et al., 2003).
Stocks of H. huso were considered to have “drastically decreased” in the lower Danube River
(Bloesch, 2004). However, according to official statistics, H. huso made up 79 per cent of
sturgeon catches in the Bulgarian section of the Danube between 1995 and 2002
(Jivkov et al., 2003). In the Bulgarian section of the Black Sea, H. huso accounted for 85.4 per
cent of sturgeon catches during the same period (Jivkov et al., 2003). This contrasts with
catch data up to the middle of the 20 th century, which, although incomplete, suggested that
90 per cent of catches were of Acipenser gueldenstaedtii and A. stellatus (A. Tsekov in litt. to
UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
H. huso is not listed in the Red Book of Bulgaria (A. Tsekov in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Threats: Wild sturgeon populations were reported to be threatened by: low population
numbers due to historic overexploitation; poaching; a decrease in the number of spawning
grounds in the Danube River; a shortening of the migration route of the species; high levels
of pollution and in the lower Danube and the Black Sea (Bacalbasa-Dobrovici, 1997; CITES
MA Bulgaria, in litt. in TRAFFIC International et al., 2000; ICPDR, 2007; A. Tsekov in litt. to
UNEP-WCMC, 2011; T. Slaveykova in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011; Zaitsev, 1992).
Selective catch of sexually-mature fish and incidental catch of young migrating sturgeon in
unregulated fisheries has disrupted the age composition of the populations (CITES MA
Bulgaria, in litt. in TRAFFIC International et al., 2000). The critically low population size also
disrupted the reproductive process, with some natural hybridisation with other sturgeon
species (A. Tsekov in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Trade: According to data in the CITES Trade Database, exports reported by Bulgaria 2000-
2010 principally comprised caviar traded for commercial purposes, the majority of which
was wild-sourced (Table 7). Trade in wild-sourced caviar ceased in 2007. In addition,
Bulgaria also reported the export of meat for commercial purposes and importers reported
small amounts of trade in live specimens for commercial purposes (source ‘F’). All annual
reports for the period 2000-2010 have been received from Bulgaria. According to the Caviar
Database, a total of 888.8 kg of H. huso caviar was exported by Bulgaria over the period 2006-
2011 (Table 9), mostly for commercial purposes.
Between 2000 and 2010, Bulgaria published export quotas for wild-taken caviar and caviar
originating from aquaculture (Table 8). Bulgaria appears to have possibly exceeded its
export quota for wild-sourced caviar in 2000, in 2002 and in 2005. Trade in caviar from
aquaculture appears to have been within quota for all years except 2006.
Re-exports originating in Bulgaria 2000-2010 consisted primarily of caviar traded for
commercial purposes. Re-exports recorded within the Caviar Database comprised a total of
782.2 kg of H. huso caviar, of which 89 per cent was captive-bred and the remainder wildsourced;
wild-sourced trade ceased in 2008. All re-exports reported in the Caviar Database
were for commercial purposes.
Statistics from the FAO fisheries department (FAO, 2011b) indicated no capture production
from Bulgaria since 2007 (Table 10). Aquaculture production commenced in 2005 and was
reported almost every year since (FAO, 2011b). Trade statistics from the Executive Agency
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