Wildlife officials to consider ban on caviar exports from major Caspian S...( ommitment to save the beluga sturgeon. ...)

ommitment to save the beluga sturgeon. And this commitment must be made now, for there are no quick fixes that could remedy this dire situation," said Dr. Ellen Pikitch, director of Marine Programs of the WCS. "Caspian countries must act immediately to stop fishing for this species approaching extinction. But consumer nations also should take action by refusing to traffic in the eggs of an endangered species and by halting imports of this imperiled fish."

Through the Caviar Emptor program, NRDC, WCS and SeaWeb also have petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list beluga sturgeon under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Service has until December 2001 to decide whether to propose beluga sturgeon for the listing.

If it is listed as an endangered species, U.S. imports of beluga caviar would be prohibited.

NRDC, WCS and SeaWeb launched Caviar Emptor in December 2000 to seek a halt to international trade in beluga sturgeon; to call for greater international funding for efforts to protect and restore Caspian Sea sturgeon; and to point consumers to preferred environmentally friendly caviar alternatives.

"It is important for governments to lead the way in protecting sturgeon, but it is also vital for consumers to make wiser seafood choices," said Vikki Spruill, executive director of SeaWeb. "We want consumers to know that it is in bad taste to eat the eggs of the endangered beluga sturgeon, which has survived since the time of dinosaurs. Consumers can help the fish survive for many years to come by choosing other good-tasting varieties that are better for the environment."

Caviar Emptor recommends that consumers reduce their consumption of Caspian Sea caviar and completely avoid beluga caviar. If consumers do buy caviar, better choices include environmentally sound farmed varieties.

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Contact: Shannon Crownover
shannon@seaweb.org
202-483-9570
SeaWeb
13-Jun-2001

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