NRDC and the other groups collaborating on the campaign have also filed a petition asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list beluga sturgeon as an endangered species - a step that would halt U.S. imports of beluga caviar. In addition, we are pressing the U.S. government to pursue an international ban on trade of beluga caviar, along with other measures to protect beluga and other species of sturgeon. The overfishing that now threatens sturgeon exploded after the fall of the Soviet Union, which led to the collapse of fishery management in the Caspian Sea and paved the way for an enormous black market in caviar. But although overfishing to fuel the caviar trade is the biggest immediate threat to sturgeon, it is not the only one. NRDC and our partners are pressing governments to reverse environmental threats that are contributing to sturgeon's decline, especially habitat destruction and pollution.
Sturgeon migrate up rivers to spawn.
But dam construction, siltation, and the diversion of river water for irrigation have nearly eliminated spawning runs on many large river systems used by these fish. Meanwhile, pollutants from urban and agricultural runoff and industrial discharges are interfering with sturgeon's reproduction and contribute to large fish kills. Turning the tide for sturgeon will require the combined action of consumers, the U.S. government, and international governing bodies. If these groups fail to act soon, these fish, survivors of the prehistoric past, will face an uncertain future.