Caviar emptor

Aun body recently extended a ban on the export of caviar for all Caspian Sea countries except Iran.

The un Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (cites) said it extended the ban as it did not receive information from the five Caspian states -- Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia -- to enable it to set export quotas for wild sturgeons for this year.

Iran's fisheries management has received approval and will be able to export up to 44,370 kg of eggs from the Persian species of sturgeon, concentrated in Iranian waters and commercially fished only by Iran.

The caviar ban was initially imposed three months back and now has been extended to nine months. The five nations have until November 30 to come up with a new plan for 2007.

Caviar Emptor, a Moscow environmental coalition, applauded the move. "The ban's extension will save the popular caviars of the Caspian -- beluga, osetra and sevruga -- at least this year.