According to the World Wildlife Fund, Caspian sturgeon are on the verge of extinction. The main reason for their plight is poaching. According to researchers, only three percent of the total sturgeon catch is produced by state-owned enterprises. If illegal fishing continues at this rate, certain sturgeon species will simply disappear.    

Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran have extended the moratorium on commercial sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea for 2024.

The Caspian countries also intend to expand cooperation in several areas, including joint research in the Caspian Sea and the organization of measures for the reproduction of sturgeon fish species. In the future, the discussion of scientific aspects related to the regulation of sprat fishing will be of particular interest. Sturgeon fishing will continue to be allowed only for scientific research and artificial reproduction purposes, as before.