2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Huso huso
Georgia was estimated to be 2 918 (Guchmanidze, 2009). Spawners were reported to
comprise 6.09 per cent of the population (40 per cent female and 60 per cent male)
(Guchmanidze, 2009).
Sturgeon population declines were reported to have slowed during the 16 years prior to
2009 as a result of reduced poaching and pollution of sturgeon habitat (Guchmanidze, 2009).
Threats: The main threats were considered to be the destruction of habitats, in particular the
construction of a hydroelectric power station; pollution; and sand-gravel extraction
(Guchmanidze, 2009; Georgia, 2010). Declines were also attributed to timber rafting,
poaching and unsustainable fishing (Guchmanidze, 2009).
Trade: According to data in the CITES Trade Database and the Caviar Database, no trade
originating in Georgia was reported 2000-2010. With the exception of 2004, all annual
reports to CITES have been received from Georgia. The market for sturgeon products in
Georgia was reported to be small, although the demand may be partly met by illegal catch
and imports from Azerbaijan and Armenia (WWF, 2010).
Management: The Management Authority of Georgia stated that no harvesting of sturgeon
was permitted in Georgia, except for scientific purposes; additionally a five mile no-fishing
zone for all species was established along Georgia’s part of the Black Sea Coast (AC17 Doc.
7.1).
The study and monitoring of sturgeons in Georgia includes the project “Research on
Sturgeon Conservation Status in Georgia”, implemented during the years 2006-2008
(Guchmanidze, 2009). Georgia was reported to have started a sturgeon restocking
programme (AC17 Doc. 7.1), although it is not clear whether this includes H. huso. Sturgeon
aquaculture was considered to be underdeveloped in Georgia (WWF, 2010).
HUNGARY
Distribution in range State: H. huso was reported to have “practically vanished” (Guti,
2008) or to be extinct (Kottelat et al., 2009).
Population trends and status: Historically, H. huso migrated from the Black Sea to the upper
part of the Hungarian section of the Danube; however individuals of the species only
exceptionally overcome the dams on the river (Hensel and Holcík, 1997). The species has
been recorded in just two catches in Hungary since the opening of the Iron Gate Dam I
(Guti, 2008), the most recent being in 1987 (AC24 Doc. 7.5 Annex; K. Levente pers. comm. to
UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Threats: As the species’ is likely to be extinct, the CITES Management Authority of Hungary
considered current threats to H. huso not to be applicable to Hungary (K. Levente pers.
comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Trade: According to data in the CITES Trade Database, trade from Hungary between 2000
and 2010 comprised the export of 120 live individuals (source ‘F’) for commercial purposes
in 2009 and two captive-bred specimens for scientific purposes in 2000. No trade originating
in Hungary has been reported in the Caviar Database. All annual reports for the period
2000-2010 have been received from Hungary.
Management: The species was reported to be legally protected by the Nature Conservation
Act No. 53 of 1996 and Ministerial Decree No. 13/2001 on protected and strictly protected
species (AC24 Doc. 7.5 Annex; K. Levente pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). In 2009,
aquaculture in Hungary was reported to comprise a captive population of 23 specimens,
kept by one single operation (AC24 Doc. 7.5 Annex).
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