2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Huso huso
Management: The management of fisheries in Iran was reported to be characterised by a
well-developed partnership between Government and private sector, with legislation under
the control of Shilat, the Iran Fisheries Company (Carocci, 2004; Morgan 2006; Speer et al.,
2000). M. Pourkazemi (in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011) provided the following information on
fisheries manangement in Iran:
“all activities related to sturgeons including catch and processing of sturgeons, trade
and export, conservation of resources and breeding and rearing of sturgeons as well
as all activities related to the hatchery production of sturgeon fingerlings is
controlled and regulated by the Iranian Fisheries, a Government Organization. With
regard to this everyone engaged in activities related to sturgeons are government
employees and all rules and regulations pertaining to catch are strictly adhered.
Time and place of catch and fishing gear to be used are communicated by the Iranian
Fisheries and all fishers are obliged to follow them. All fishing activities are
supervised and controlled by the Iranian Fisheries. Sturgeon meat and caviar is
under the monopoly of the Government of the I.R. of Iran and the trade of sturgeon
meat and caviar in the local markets is considered illegal and the source of this illegal
trade is immediately identified.”
Iran has put in place a ban on commercial sturgeon catch in the Caspian Sea (at the Sturgeon
and Paddlefish CITES working group; M. Pourkazemi, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011);
the CITES Secretariat encouraged Iran to submit to the Secretariat a notification concerning
their ban on commercial sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea (IISD, 2011; AC25 Summary
Record).
Sturgeon fishing regulation in Iran was reported to include the requirement of a license,
fishing restricted to a few stations and only in the open season in spring (Raymakers, 2002a).
Catch and export of H. huso in Iran are based on the management of stocks and on a policy
to decrease catch efforts through decreasing the number of catch days, gillnets and boats
(M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). To protect stocks and comply with
regulations on catch and export quotas, catch figures for H. huso in Iran 1998-2010 have been
greatly reduced (M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011; Table 18).
Table 18. Catch and caviar harvests of H. huso from the Islamic Republic of Iran 1998-2010. (Source:
M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 Product
32 34 52 83 74 74 73 52 67 88 125 128 149 Catch (tons)
A security system of coastal guards for the protection and conservation of aquatic resources
has been established (M. Pourkazemi, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). In 2008, the
fishery guard was reported to have seized 1948 kg of sturgeon and 28.6 kg of caviar and to
have released thousands of immature and undersized sturgeons caught as by-catch
(FAO, 2009). Strict control is enforced on fishing gear and catch season for sturgeons, in
compliance with regulations outlined by the Fisheries Research Organisation
(M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). Regarding sturgeon caught as by-catch,
immature specimens are immediately released back into the sea and mature specimens are
handed over to sturgeon hatcheries or rehabilitation centres, with a representative of Iranian
Fisheries always present (M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Conservation of H. huso stocks was reported to be one of the main objectives of the Iranian
Fisheries Organization, with the number of fingerlings released into the Caspian Sea over
the last 10 years totalling 89 000 000 (M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). H. huso
fingerlings are released at 10, 20 and 35 g, giving them a greater chance of survival
(M. Pourkazemi in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
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