Conservation of the Caspian Sea fish stocks remains an important task. Back at the beginning of the 20th century, the Caspian Sea was a key fishing basin of the country (more than 500 thousand tons of fish per year), and now the catch volumes are significantly lower: for example, in 2025, 27 thousand tons of sprats and 40 thousand tons of partial fish were extracted in the Southern region of the Volga‑Caspian basin.
The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea has been in force since 2006, and the Caspian littoral countries have been celebrating Caspian Day since 2007. In all these states, a moratorium on industrial fishing of sturgeon has been introduced; in Russia, their artificial reproduction is additionally actively conducted, including by the Volga—Caspian branch of the SSC RF "All‑Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO). It is due to the Russian release of juveniles that the Russian sturgeon population is largely supported.
The Caspian Sea is also of strategic importance: in the Maritime Doctrine (2022), it is named one of the most important regions for Russia, and the issues of preserving its biological resources are a priority. Iran's ratification of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea will be an important step towards strengthening regional cooperation.
The VNIRO team congratulates colleagues and partners from the Caspian littoral countries on the Caspian Sea Day and wishes success in preserving the unique ecosystem.
VNIRO Press Service
