Illegal fishing and sea water contamination has threatened the Caspian sturgeon population, said Sadegh Khasipour, head of Astara fisheries.
Conservation, propagation and release of sturgeon fingerlings in the Caspian Sea are the responsibilities of Iran’s fisheries organization; therefore the country annually releases 20 to 22 million sturgeon fingerlings in the sea to preserve this valuable caviar-producing species.
Sturgeon has high economic value for the Caspian littoral countries as it is an important source of foreign revenue for its caviar, ISNA reports.
