Documents

In accordance with Article 18 (2) of the Tehran Convention, the Parties developed the Strategic Convention Action Programme (SCAP). The SCAP is a comprehensive, long-term agenda and framework for the implementation of the Tehran Convention and its Protocols over a period of 10 years. It was adopted at COP 2 in Tehran, Iran, 10-12 November 2008.

Rules of Procedure for the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea. Adopted at COP 2 in Tehran, Iran, 10-12 November 2008.

This volume aims to provide background information on the Caspian Sea in order to support the recommendations in the National Caspian Action Plans (NCAPs) and the Strategic Action Programme (SAP). Thus, this TDA is not merely a State of the Environment report, but also a look into the future based on the current political situation, socio-economic conditions, and legal/regulatory framework. 

This TDA relies on and benefits from the dedicated work of numerous individuals, agencies, institutes, projects and corporations. The major building blocks are the studies and research works conducted and
carried out by the Caspian Regional Thematic Centres. These works have been mostly produced by the national experts of the Caspian countries and have been effectively led and substantially assisted by the National Focal Points (NFPs) and the Management Advisory Group and Inter-sectoral Assistants (MAGICAs). Production of the TDA would have not been possible without the efficient project execution assistance of UNOPS. The overall conceptualization, design, production monitoring and editing of the TDA has been led by the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) including the Data and Information Management Theme in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Ural sturgeon yield-to-fishery relative to river discharge was the highest in the Caspian Sea till recently. The environmental conditions to secure natural reproduction are still satisfactory for successful sturgeon reproduction. However, nowadays the catch in all regional sturgeon species is negligible. The Ural sturgeon population dynamics are analyzed along with some anthropogenic and natural factors affecting them. It is argued that legal overfishing (including all legal means of fish removal), based upon (a) faulty estimations of sturgeon stock and catch limits and (b) inappropriate fishery policies are the principal reasons for the stock decline in the Ural. The maintenance of the natural reproduction in the Ural is considered to be the primary strategy for the stock replenishment. If used at all, artificial propagation should be used only as an additional secondary option exclusively at the historical sturgeon habitats upstream the Ural river and not in the river delta, where the hatcheries are located now. Transboundary cooperation of basin countries with active inter- national involvement is essential to prevent further deterioration of the situation. ***The attached copy is furnished to the author for non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the author’s institution, sharing with colleagues and providing to institution administration. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the chapter (e.g. in Word or TEX form) to their personal website or institutional repository.***