Vital Caspian Graphics 2

Origin and destination of selected species

UNITED KINGDOM

R h

o d

o d

e n

d r

o n

s h

o m b j

C

e l l y

r u

GREAT LAKES

b

BLACK AND CASPIAN SEAS

Z e b r a

e l

m u s s

NILE VALLEY

HIMALAYAS

N i l

BANGLADESH

h

c in t

GUAM

e

e

r h ya

p e

e

t r

PANAMA

W a te

B

k e

r c

a

n s

s

s

SOUTHEAST ASIA

a

w

h

n

o

a il

B r

pl e sn

LAKE VICTORIA

e n ap

AMAZONIA

G o ld

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

PERU

a

h o l e r e

V . C

B r

u s

h t

a il

AUSTRALIA

p o

s s

Illegal caviar trade in the EU

u

m

4 500 Kilogrammes of caviar seized at EU customs

NEW ZEALAND

Source: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005.

4 000

Historical decline of the Caspian seal ( Pusa caspica )

3 500

160 Thousands of seals hunted

Caviar imports as reported by three main consumer markets (Japan, European Union and United States)

3 000

140

Caspian seals fight for survival

Tonnes per year

2 500

US dollars per kilogrammes

120

The Caspian seal ( Pusa caspica ) population has declined by more than 90 per cent since the start of the 20th century, falling from more than 1 million individuals in 1900 to around 100 000 today (CEP, 2007). However, at present there are only around 7 to 15 thousand breeding females, meaning the population has very low reproductive capacity. The principle cause of the decline was unsustainable levels of hunting for seal oil and fur through much of the 20th century. Large-scale commercial hunting ceased in the early 1990s, but mortality caused by humans still continues to be the greatest threat to the population. Sporadic commercial hunts restarted from 2004, and currently by-catch in illegal sturgeon fisheries may be killing more than 10 000 seals per year.

700

700

100

Price of caviar

2 000

600

600

80

500

500

1 500

60

400

400

300

300

1 000

40

200

200

20

500

Caviar imports

100

100

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 0

0

0

0

1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

2003 00 01 02

2000 2001 2002

2005 2006 2007 2004 2003

Source: FAO Fishtat on line database.

Source: Engler, M., Knapp, A., Briefing On the Evolution of the Caviar Trade and Range State Implementation of Resolution Conf. 12.7 (Rev. Cop 14). A TRAFFIC Europe Report for the European Commission, 2008.

Source: TRAFFIC Europe, 5th International Symposium on Sturgeon, 2005.

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