Caspian caviar survey sets sail

Over-fishing of sturgeon is threatening supplies of caviar

By Chloe Arnold in Baku

A scientific expedition which will for the first time calculate how many sturgeon are left in the Caspian Sea, has left Azerbaijan to begin a six-week survey.

Experts say that sturgeon, once abundant in the Caspian, are in danger of becoming extinct because of the demand for caviar, a much sought-after delicacy made from sturgeons' roe.

A team of scientists from four of the five countries surrounding the Caspian sea set off on Thursday aboard the Russian built "Caspian researcher".

The expedition which has been jointly funded by the Norwegian government, the European Union and some of the Caspian governments, will provide the first comprehensive survey of the sea's fish reserves.

Earlier studies were carried out by the Soviet and Iranian governments, but they did not give an accurate picture of the whole of the Caspian sea.

Quotas

It is hoped the data from the expedition will provide information about how seriously the sturgeon population has been affected by over-fishing.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, has set quotas for the fishing of sturgeon in the Caspian, and this summer it ordered a partial moratorium on fishing.

But experts say the quotas do nothing to stop poaching, which is thought to exceed official levels by 10 to 15 times.

Caviar like this is going to be in even shorter supply

The number of sturgeon in the Caspian has been falling steadily for the past 20 years.

The governments of Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and Azerbaijan have all given the go-ahead for the survey project.

Turkmenistan has yet to confirm whether it will send a researcher to join the crew or allow the ship to cross into its territorial waters.