The Beluga Sturgeon Fish

      Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) have inhabited the earth for more than 100 million years. During the past 20 years their numbers have declined by 90%, plummeting to the lowest population sizes ever recorded. This drastic decline has created much controversy as to whether harvest and trade of this species should continue. The situation is further complicated by management that varies among countries sharing the same resources, international trade, and altered ecological conditions that have decreased survival and natural reproduction. In January 2006, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) suspended the trading of all wild beluga sturgeon caviar from the Caspian Sea. A year later, CITES re-opened the trade of beluga sturgeon, despite much pressure from researchers. Opening and closing beluga sturgeon trade impacts the market and affects many parties, including fishers, consumers, and managers. After completing this case, students will have a better understanding of the complex process of managing shared natural resources, specifically dealing with beluga sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea region. This case will also allow students to expand their critical thinking skills for decision making on a global, ecological issue while learning about a complicated problem involving many opinions, countries, and livelihoods.

     Beluga sturgeon is a species that has been fished in the Caspian Sea since the middle 1800s (Raspopov, 1993a). This species is prized for its caviar; a kilogram of beluga sturgeon roe (or eggs) can sell on the United States market for more than US$5000. Recently, this fishery has attracted much attention due to decreasing abundance, with catches plummeting in the 1920s and continuing to decline during the past 20 years (Exhibit 1). Loss of habitat, overfishing, natural factors, and pollution have all contributed to the decline of beluga sturgeon. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, management became more challenging as fishing rights were divided. Enforcement weakened, leading to more overfishing, poaching, and illegal trade. This case explores the issues surrounding this complicated problem and the management strategies that have been created in an attempt to protect this species from extinction. The Case

         The beluga sturgeon moved slowly through the currents of the Caspian Sea. Her sleek body was covered in prehistoric-looking bony plates, and the water quickly flowed around her as she searched for her next meal. Like all sturgeon, she used the sensitive barbels around her mouth to detect small organisms on the bottom. She stirred the sediment with her snout and felt movement. Quickly, she protruded her vacuum-like mouth into the sediment to slurp up the small crustacean buried in the mud. Most of the time, she did not feed this way. At her large size, she usually swam through the middle of the water column feeding on larger fish. However, instinct told her that she had to take advantage of every available food source. Soon she would begin her spawning migration, a trek that would cover over a 1000 kilometers and would be accompanied by long periods of starvation.