Romanians Protest Lift of Sturgeon Fishing Ban

Fishing of sturgeons for commercial purposes was banned in Romania in 2006 for a period of ten years. The relatively long period of prohibition is explained by the long life cycle of the sturgeon (the maximum age being between 24 and 100 years), by the long period necessary for the sturgeon to reach reproductive age (between 6 and 26 years), and by the fact that the sturgeon does not reproduce every year.

In a controversial move, the Romanian Government is now allowing sturgeon fishing for purposes other than restocking. The move was implemented in September by the Agriculture and Environment Committees of the Romanian Parliament. The new law in effect legalizes fishing of sturgeons for commercial purposes.

This is not good for the caviar industry, as further fishing in the region is flirting with complete extinction of sturgeon species. The main sturgeon species found in the Romanian region are Sterlet, Ship, and Beluga Sturgeon. Osetra and Sevruga Sturgeon are also found in the region.

Read the full article posted on Panda.org here.