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Alarms
Ring for Iran’s Caviar Exports |
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Illegal trade in sturgeons is the main reason for reduction in their
number in the Persian Gulf. |
Disrespect of some Caspian Sea
littoral states to their commitments for halting caviar exports and unofficial
caviar production is one of the main issues causing concerns among countries
which remain loyal to their commitments. According to official reports and
based on a proposal by Russia at a conference on live resources of the Caspian
Sea, it was decided that caviar exports should be stopped in 2009 in order to
allow for repletion of sturgeon reserves. Head of Iran Fisheries Organization
told newspapers recently that in that conference, four littoral states
including Iran, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan
agreed to stop exports by 2009, but the agreement was not fulfilled due to
opposition from Russia.
Alinaqi Sarpanah noted that Iran
agreed to the decisions because it had already produced 5.4 tons of caviar. He
added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is agreed to repletion of caviar reserves
and hopefully, 5.4 tons of caviar produced thus far will be consumed by our
own people. This agreement will be in force till the end of 2009 and the
states have agreed to stop exporting caviar and sturgeon meat in 2010 as
well.”
Chairman of the Agriculture
Commission of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines also noted that
the main concern is that Iran would abide by those commitments and others
would not and, in that case, Iran would have to suffer commercial losses.
Mohammad Hossein Karimipour added
that a halt to caviar exports has underlined the need to launch a joint
control system. “Illegal trade in sturgeons is the main reason for reduction
in their number in the Persian Gulf. On the other hand, contamination of the
sea due to entry of wastewater and contaminant material has posed serious
threat to sturgeons in the world’s biggest closed lake.
Karimipour also noted that Iran has
never gone over its commitments with regional countries with regard to caviar
exports. He added, “Our country enjoys a more advanced system for caviar
compared to regional countries.” He noted that for more than 80 years all
issues related to production and export of caviar has been monopolized by the
government.
Head of the Agriculture Commission
of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines further noted that Iran,
Russia, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan should observe
their commitments in halting exports.
Karimipour then stated that if the
five countries abided by their commitments, problems nagging caviar sector
would have been solved more rapidly. He emphasized that production and export
of caviar by Iranians is not for immediate profits, adding, “Caviar, like
saffron and pistachios, is highly important and we must handle this issue
quite intelligently. According to some reports, 1,071 tons of sturgeons have
been caught in the Caspian Sea in 2007. Out of that figure, Iran has accounted
for 450 tons, Russia for 286 tons, Kazakhstan for 182 tons, the Republic of
Azerbaijan for 90 tons and Turkmenistan for 63 tons.”
Karimipour stated that any control
on genetic pools which are not renewable would protect interests of the
countries. Member of the board of representatives of Iran Chamber of Commerce,
Industries and Mines further noted that lack of upstream regulations in the
Caspian Sea even for exploitation of subsurface resources like oil, has
further complicated the problem.
Pointing to the 1921 treaty signed
by Iran and the former Soviet Union, he added that according to the accord,
the two countries were to take equal advantage of the Caspian Sea reserves,
but after the number of littoral states increased, no new treaty has been
signed.
Karimipour added that due to
ambiguities surrounding upstream treaties, there are no well-defined legal
structures anywhere around the sea and therefore, fishery issues cannot be
differentiated from other forms of proprietary rights.
He said, “Under conditions that the
fate of economic resources of the Caspian Sea is not determined yet, it is
quite natural for small sectors like caviar to be facing problems.” |
