Fish and Wildlife bans beluga sturgeon imports from Caspian Sea

Fish and Wildlife bans beluga sturgeon imports from Caspian Sea    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is suspending import and re-export of beluga sturgeon caviar and meat originating in the Caspian Sea basin countries, starting today.
   The countries covered by the suspension are Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan.
   On Oct. 21, 2004, Fish and Wildlife listed all beluga sturgeon populations as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The terms of the special rule parallel recent decisions on beluga sturgeon under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a global agreement among 170 countries, including the United States, seeking to regulate and monitor international wildlife trade through a system of permits.
   The agency said domestic interstate commerce of beluga sturgeon caviar and meat from the Caspian Sea basin that was legally imported before the trade suspension will continue to be allowed under the special rule without a threatened species permit.
   “Because of the perishable nature of sturgeon caviar and meat, this exemption expires 18 months from the date of the original CITES export permit,” Fish and Wildlife said.