2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Huso huso
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
Distribution in range State: It has been suggested that the species may no longer spawn
naturally in Iranian waters (Kottelat and Freyhof, 2007), however, the CITES SA of Iran
(M. Pourkazemi, in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011) confirmed that H. huso entered large rivers
such as the Sefidrud and Gorganrud rivers to spawn.
Population trends and status: Between 1904 and 1913, H. huso accounted for about 40 per
cent of the sturgeon catch, whereas by 2004 it accounted for no more than 10 per cent
(Abdolhay, 2004). Estimates of catch per unit effort for H. huso from gillnets were reported to
have declined from 0.501 in 1998 to 0.157 in 2008 (M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC,
2011).
Since 2002, Iran has conducted sturgeon stock assessments using trawl surveys (Table 12) to
estimate abundance and biomass, although concern has been expressed about the
methodology used including: H. huso is a pelagic fish whereas trawls collect samples from
along the bottom; the bottom trawl method is not appropriate for large fish; and surveys are
currently conducted in summer whereas H. huso migrates to the south Caspian Sea in early
spring (M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). The absence of large and adult
specimens in the catch composition was attributed to the inappropriate fishing gear and
timing of the survey.
Table 12. Number of specimens, catch per unit effort (CPUE), abundance and biomass of H. huso
caught using bottom trawls in the marine stock assessment surveys from 2002 through 2005.
(Source: M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Season
No. of
Abundance
Biomass
specimens CPUE (thousand
(tons)
caught*
specimens)
Spring 2002 1 0.01 52 1300
Autumn 2003 2 0.03 192.3 10767.2
Summer 2004 4 0.05 297.146 5824.232
Winter 2005 3 0.04 350.151 7916.232
* No H. huso specimens were caught during the winter surveys of 2003 and 2004, summer survey of
2005 and the winter and summer surveys of 2008 and 2010.
Mean length and mean weight of specimens caught in research studies and catch data
indicate that the average size of specimens caught may have increased slightly in recent
years (Table 13).
Table 13. Mean fork length and weight of H. huso from the Islamic Republic of Iran 1998-2010.
(Source: M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Mean weight (kg) Mean fork length (cm) Year
108.7 212.5 1998
92.8 200.8 1999
85.2 196.2 2000
92.2 203.7 2001
98.8 208 2002
116.2 216.2 2003
104.6 205.7 2004
106.2 210.1 2005
120.3 215.1 2006
109.0 210.5 2007
120.5 217.4 2008
132.4 223.6 2009
146.6 228.9 2010
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