Russia stops Caspian Sea sturgeon fishing

Russia is to stop commercial fishing of Caspian Sea sturgeon as of 20 July as part of an international effort to save the fish from extinction.

The announcement about the freeze - which will be in force for the rest of the year - was made by the deputy head of the State Fisheries Committee, Anatoly Makoyedov.

At a Paris meeting last month of the United Nations body which regulates trade in endangered species ,CITES, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan agreed to a temporary freeze on sturgeon fishing.

That helped avert a possible total ban on caviar exports from these countries.

Most of the world's caviar comes from sturgeon in the Caspian Sea where stocks have dropped by about 90% in two decades as a result of pollution, poaching and smuggling.

Under the agreement, the countries have until the end of the year to study sturgeon stocks, ask Interpol to examine the illegal sturgeon trade and allow CITES to inspect sturgeon management activities.