A suspension on the international trade in caviar that is taken from wild sturgeon was announced yesterday (3 January) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
CITES represents 169 member countries where the ban on caviar from wild sturgeon will come into effect. It will be the responsibility of member nations to ensure that the agreement is adhered to.
This move has been welcomed by wildlife groups which hope that it will help preserve endangered species of sturgeon.
Dr Susan Lieberman, director of WWF’s Global Species Programme, said: “Sturgeon have been in dire straits for some time and it has been clear that something drastic had to be done to stop the rampant trade in illegal caviar and to ensure that the legal trade is sustainable and properly regulated.”
