Re: NANFA-- Beluga Sturgeon

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus_at_hotmail.com)
Fri, 16 Aug 2002 10:47:40 -0400

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The really big problem for this fish is habitat degradation. The Caspian Sea
was used by the Soviets for all sorts of military experiments (like smallpox
weaponization), and was on the receiving end of abuse related to stupid
agricultural practices. It's only because the adults are long-lived that any
of these fish remain, apparently...

--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL, US of A

>From: Brian Haas <bhaas_at_netexpress.net>
>Reply-To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
>To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
>Subject: Re: NANFA-- Beluga Sturgeon
>Date: 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
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