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The present report has been prepared by the international legal consultant – Irina Krasnova, professor of environmental law of the Russian Academy of State Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, doctor of juridical science.

The report is prepared within the framework of the Caspian Environment Programme in accordance with the relevant UNEP/UNDP/TACIS project, the Terms of Reference for the International Consultancy of Legal National Assessments attached in Annex III to the project and the Workplan for CRTC/LREI.

The Caspian Sea, world largest lake, is bordered by Azerbaijan Republic, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Republic, Russian Federation and Turkmenistan. Its biodiversity is comprised of 1354 plant, animal and more than 122 fish species. Out of 122 fish species and subspecies living in the Caspian Sea, 40 species are commercial and presently 25 species are the main exploited fish. The Caspian Sea fishes are divided to four main groups, including 53 species Marine fishes (43.5%), 42 species (13.4%) of freshwater origin, 18 species (14.7%) anadromous and 9 species (7.4%) semi-anadromous. At present sturgeons, kilka and Caspian Sea seals are considered as shared stocks between Caspian Sea range states.