Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Over a 30-year period, total sturgeon catches in the Caspian Sea have declined dramatically from 27,000 tonnes to less than 1,000 tonnes [ ] 54 Biodiversity and the fishing sector in the Caspian Sea The National Caspian Action Plan identifies the key marine and coastal habitats requiring focused conserva- tion actions in Azerbaijan’s territorial waters of the Caspian Sea. The total number of species in the Caspian Sea Region is estimated to be between 1,800 and 2,000, incorporating vari- ous groups of plants and animals. The number of endemic fish species is very high, and includes one lamprey spe- cies, 11 herring species, 24 species of Caspian gobies and five anadromous sturgeon species, all of which are fished commercially. The Caspian seal is the only resident endemic mammal. The International Commission on Aquatic Resources of the Caspian Sea regulates fisheries by defining the total allowable catch and distributing the catch quota of major commercial fish species (sturgeon, sprat, seals) between Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The main threats to biodiversity in the Caspian are over-fishing of sturgeon and other commercial fish species; poorly maintained water distribution systems; pollution and ineffective waste management. In support of the State Programme for the Socio-Economic Development of the Regions of the Azerbaijan Re- public (2009–2013), specific measures have been implemented for the treat- ment of wastewater, the construction of water supplies and the rehabilita- tion of the Caspian Sea environment and its coastal territories. The effectiveness of initiatives to mainstream biodiversity into the country’s strategies, plans and programmes of relevant production sectors has historically been limited. However, the recent adoption of the national development plan, “Azerbai- jan 2020: Outlook for the future” has enabled a framework for improving the mainstreaming of biodiversity into key production sectors. The plan specifically identifies the measures that are required to protect biodiver- sity, eliminate the pollution of the sea and its basin, and protect marine and freshwater ecosystems. The main priority of the fishing sector for the Caspian littoral states is to develop sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and to strictly regulate the fishing of sturgeon. In support of this, Azerbaijan has prepared a new version of its law on fishing that seeks to enforce a sustainably developed and managed fishery and aquaculture industry. Currently there are 12 fish breeding enterprises focusing on rais- ing juvenile fish that are important for commercial and environmental fishing, mainly carp, salmon and sturgeon. In 2012, nearly 66 million juvenile fish were bred and released into the Caspian and associated water basins, by these enterprises. Azerbaijan has also ratified the Framework Convention for the Pro- tection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea. A zerbaijan is situated at the juncture of several biogeographical areas — the Eastern Palearctic, the Turan, the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and the Middle East — and contains species of European, Central Asian and Mediterranean origin. The country forms an integral part of the Caucasus Ecoregion, one with an exceptional range of biodiversity. Azerbaijan also shares the largest inland body of water in the world, the Caspian Sea, the biological diversity of which makes the region particularly significant. The country can be divided into the following five broad ecosystem complexes — forest; freshwater, wetland and swamp; grassland and semi-desert; high mountain; and marine and coastal. Satellite view of the Caspian Sea @NASA on Unsplash Azerbaijan