Some species of sturgeons are harvested for their roe, which is then made into the luxury food caviar.
The Caspian Sea is home to the beluga sturgeon which is the rarest and costliest species of its kind; and the caviar made of which is the most sought after.
“We used to produce over 230 metric tons of caviar a year, but due to the problems the Caspian Sea littoral countries created, the number has reached zero today,” said Jelodar.
He further said that in the past, Iran and Russia would hold meetings on controlled exploitation of the sea, but the situation has changed.
"But now the countries do what they want. We have to do something to save the Caspian Sea to prevent it from disappearing like other places,” he said.
The official noted that due to other usages made of the Caspian Sea water, caviar harvesting is currently carried out outside the sea.
In 2009, Iran was the world`s largest producer and exporter of caviar, with an annual export of more than 300 metric tons.
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