The 10th International Symposium on Sturgeon (ISS10)

The Caspian Sea is currently facing a serious ecological crisis (climate change, reduced inflow, periodic recession, sea level drop ,etc.),and a serious crisis in sturgeon stocks has arisen due to the failure of joint cooperation between five countries after 14 years of banning commercial fishing and caviar exports. The objective of this article attempts to present the current challenges and problems of the Caspian Sea, while also proposing solutions for implementation that can be considered as a model for various countries. The following measures, appropriate to the current realities, can slow down the rate of extinction and saving the valuable genetic resources and taking a step towards joint cooperation. The proposed measures include: National partnership to combat and reduce illegal fishing. Encourage and support the private sector to participate and invest in restocking juvenile to restore habitats and migration sites. Allocate all sturgeons rood stocks to hatcheries and establish a gene bank without killing breeders, along with the use of genetic and physical tags, cryopreservation with live gene bank based on genetic criteria. Increasing the weight of fingerlings from 3 gr. to at least 25 gr. with the participation of local communities and stakeholders. Introducing immature and propagated brood stock in sea cages. Cooperation and implementation of bilateral or multilateral joint programs with the countries of the Caspian region. Sharing and getting the Benefits from the experiences of international participation of WSCS, IUCN, FAO, CITES. National and regional policy-making and planning for the development of an action plan for implementation. In conclusion this approaches may not fully implemented or not supported by all Caspian countries however may lead to save local population/species for gene banking as well as sustainable aquaculture development

Sturgeon, Caspian Sea, genetic resources, action plan