Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec 14 /Trend M.Aliev/
Iran has proposed a five-year moratorium on sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea, the head of the Iran Fisheries Organisation Shilat Ali Askar Mujahideen said after making the proposal in Baku at the 32nd session of the Commission on Aquatic Bioresources of the Caspian Sea.
Mr Mujahideen noted that Iran is carrying out serious work on the conservation of the biological resources of the Caspian Sea and believes that the surrounding states should act together to increase fish stocks. Currently there is a ban on commercial fishing in the Caspian Sea in Iran.
The acting chairman of the Committee of Fisheries of Kazakhstan, Bauyrzhan Zhumazhanov noted that the restoration of biodiversity in the Caspian Sea would be possible only after a five-sided agreement on a moratorium on commercial sturgeon fishing. He expressed hope that Iran and Turkmenistan will support a draft agreement on a moratorium between Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Representatives of Russia and Turkmenistan have also expressed concern at the current state of bio resources and noted the need for joint efforts in this area.
A moratorium on commercial sturgeon fishing, as well as the development of the quota for 2010-2011 and the determination of quotas for 2012 are the main topics of the meeting of the five littoral states being held in Baku.
The Caspian states, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan hold a one-year moratorium on sturgeon fishing.
Kazakhstan made a proposal on a moratorium for the first time at the Baku summit held on November 18, 2010. Other Caspian countries supported the proposal and it was agreed to develop a mechanism for imposing a moratorium on sturgeon fishing.