WWF sounds warning on caviar

November 15, 2011

WWF warns that poaching and illegal trade in sturgeon caviar in Romania and Bulgaria pose a serious risk to the highly threatened species of fish. AFP/Relaxnews pic
SOFIA, Nov 15 Poaching and illegal trade in sturgeon caviar persist in Romania and Bulgaria, posing a serious risk to the highly threatened species of fish, the environmental group WWF warned yesterday.

A total of 52.5 kilos of illegal caviar, retailing for upwards of 6,000 per kilo, originating in the two countries was reported by European Union member states between 2000 and 2009, the report said.

The real volume of illegal trade is likely to be considerably higher, the reports author Katalin Kecse-Nagy said in the statement, adding: Any illegal trade poses an unacceptable risk to these highly threatened species.

The Black Sea is one of the most important sturgeon fisheries in the world, second only to the Caspian Sea. The Danube, as one of the major feeder rivers and estuaries of the Black Sea, is crucial for the fish.

According to the World Sturgeon Conservation Society, the Danube is the only large river system in Europe where protection of existing but dwindling sturgeon stocks is still possible.

Fishing and export of sturgeon and sturgeon products of wild origin was banned in Romania in 2006 for 10 years, while Bulgaria is currently under a one-year ban, the WWF said.

The WWF report recommended that Sofia and Bucharest strengthen their enforcement agencies, while also insisting on closer monitoring by the EU and more awareness among consumers and traders.

The EU has a major responsibility to regulate the caviar trade because EU member states are the largest consumers of caviar from Romania and the second largest consumer of caviar from Bulgaria, WWF sturgeon expert Jutta Jahrl said.

It is crucial that traders and consumers do n! ot buy u nlabelled caviar this simple act would strike a major blow against the illegal trade, the statement said.

The EU must close every loophole in order to save sturgeons from extinction.

Giant Beluga sturgeons, an ancient fish which outlasted the dinosaurs, have been critically endangered by overfishing for their caviar uncooked roe or eggs and by cutting off their migration routes and altering their habitat. AFP/Relaxnews



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jenna Lyons divorce: Lesbian lover of J Crew boss outed as Courtney Crangi

Image
Add to My Stories Share The 'other woman' thought to have been behind the split of one of America's most influential fashion executives and her husband of nine years has been revealed. J.Crew president and creative director Jenna Lyons, who is divorcing her artist husband of nine years, Vincent Mazeau, is said to be seeing top jewellery executive Courtney Crangi, 38, according to the New York Post. The pair have been photographed together repeatedly over the years, most recently this summer. Modern family: J Crew' Jenna Lyons, left, posed with her son Beckett, 5, rumored girlfriend Courtney Crangi and Crangi's daughter Coco, also 5, on a red carpet in June 2011, as her marriage was ending In June they attended the WSJ OFF DUTY Summer Solstice Celebration together, posing for photographers with Lyons' son Beckett and Crangi's daughter Coco, both five. Ms Lyons and her husband are said to be in the middle of a messy divorce after splitting in the summ
Keep reading

BAFTA TV Awards 2011: The Only Way Is Essex girls lead the glamour

Image
Add to My Stories Share It was one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year, with the biggest names from the television industry attending. But at the Philips Bafta Television Awards it wasn't a TV veteran who stole the show but a group of relative newcomers - the girls from The Only Way Is Essex. Amy Childs, Lauren Goodger, Sam Faiers and Lydia Bright led the glamour last night as they arrived for the annual ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel. Essex girls leading the way: The Only Way Is Essex stars (left to right) Amy Childs, Lauren Goodger, Lydia Bright and Sam Faiers lead the glamour at the Bafta Television Awards Stealing the show: But it was Amy Childs who stands out from the crowd in her Pia Michi gold gown And it seems that the girls had possibly co-ordinated their outfits, as they all chose sparkly metallic numbers to pose on the red carpet. More... Daisy Lowe causes a stir in a see-through dress at the BAFTA Television Awards as she cuddles up to boy
Keep reading

Small Doses of Vicodin OK for Breast-Feeding Moms, Study Says

Image
Filed under: In The News , Breast-Feeding , Research Reveals Breast-feeding pain may be eased by small doses of Vicodin, a new study shows. Credit: Getty Breast-feeding may be a healthy and economical way to feed and bond with your baby, but it also can be a real pain -- literally -- for some moms who are still cramping and sore from mega hours of labor and C-sections, not to mention the whole nipple pinching thing. But now there's good news on the lactating front: Apparently, it's safe to pop a few Vicodin while you're breast-feeding. The strong painkiller hydrocodone , better known as Vicodin, may be safe in smaller doses for women nursing newborns, U.S. researchers tell Reuters . Only traces of the drug end up in the mother's breast milk, according to findings from a study out of the University of Toronto and the University of California San Diego . Researchers say in cases where weaker painkillers such as acetaminophen ( Tylenol ) or ibuprofen ( Advil ) don't t
Keep reading