Re: NANFA-- Beluga Sturgeon

Brian Haas (bhaas_at_netexpress.net)
Thu, 15 Aug 2002 22:14:57 -0500

I also heard the report. USFWS is considering putting a ban on the
importation and sale of Beluga caviar in the U.S. in order to help out the
sturgeon. The flip side of this is that an enormous amount of Beluga
caviar is sold on the black market (was it 10x as much as is sold
legally!?). Opponents to the ban say that the current legal marketing of
the roe contributes money to restoration and management efforts. If the
roe was banned, that money would no longer be available to restoration
efforts - at the same time, the demand on the black market would continue
(probably increase) and cause further harm to the species.

Yet another sticky situation in the sometimes seemingly hopeless world of
conservation. (Wow, what a sentence - talk about alliteration.)

Travis Haas
Hazel Green, WI

At 10:27 PM 8/15/02, Rob wrote:
>This info. was passed on to me from a friend in Cleveland who heard this on
>National Public Radio World News. Although not a native fish here, I just
>thought it might interest the list for comments... Read on...
>
>Rob C.
>
>Nikki Mezic of Cleveland, writes:
>
>Rob, did you know that the beluga sturgen is going to be put on the
>endangered
>species list? I guess their population has decreased by 90% in the past 20
>years. That's so disgusting, all for caviar...80% of which is sold to the
>United States of course. We're the gluttons of the earth... Info from NPR
>World News.
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