CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: its role in the conservation of Acipenseriformes

Since 1997, year of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP10) of CITES ( Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) all 27 species of Acipenseriformes, 25 sturgeon and 2 paddlefish, are listed on the Appendices of the Convention. The monitoring of international trade has significantly improved. CITES measures have been adopted and limits have been established to better control caviar shipments. Through the CITES Review of Significant Trade, recommendations were made to range States that share sturgeon stocks to agree on a joint fisheries management regime. A severe reduction of annual caviar export quotas was recommended to Eurasian sturgeon range States where commercial fisheries take place. From 1999 to 2004, the global export quota for caviar from wild sources was halved, but over these six years international trade records dropped four folds, from 289 tonnes ( 288 950 kilograms) to 63.4 t. The level of caviar consumption within producing countries ( domestic markets) remained unknown. Major caviar trading nations, particularly importing Parties, were very slow in implementing the new CITES provisions, such as the universal labelling system for the identification of caviar. The scarcity of caviar supply from sturgeon fisheries is gradually being compensated by the aquaculture production that has increased significantly. But without a broader strategy, the development of sturgeon farms will not help reduce the pressure on Acipenseriformes stocks. Since the mid-1980s, the over-fishing observed in many range States, particularly along the Amur and Danube river basins, as well as around the Caspian Sea, was characterised by the poaching of sturgeon to supply lucrative illicit caviar markets. Geo-political and economical changes that occurred in these regions have attracted the attention of institutions such as the World Bank and IUCN ( The World Conservation Union), which promotes integrated conservation and development approaches. In this context, besides coordination on enforcement matters, the CITES process has a stronger role to play in materialising action plans and in supporting synergies between stakeholders, including the commercial sector, scientists, socio-economists, investment institutions, government agencies, inter- and non-government organisations.