Registration
for the 7th International Symposium on Sturgeons, July 21- 25, 2013, co-hosted
by Vancouver Island University (VIU) and the City of Nanaimo, Canada.
The
International Symposia on Sturgeons (ISS) are held at four-year intervals to
provide a global platform to assess the progress made in both conservation and
aquaculture but also to discuss and develop science-based recommendations that
serve as guiding principles for future research and management measures.
ISS7
presents a unique opportunity to discuss issues critical to sturgeons in the
21st century. The challenges include both the current dire future of many feral
populations and the promise of sturgeon hatcheries to support ecological
(conservation/restoration) and economic (food production) benefits to society.
During
the past decade awareness of the economic and ecological importance of the
rapidly dwindling sturgeon populations has grown in most of the range states.
As identified by the IUCN-WSCS workshop associated with the 6th International
Symposium on Sturgeons (ISS6, October 2009, Wuhan, China), the conservation
status of most sturgeon stocks largely deteriorated over the past 15 years with
some species now facing extinction. Therefore, the international community and
governments in range states are extremely concerned about the future of
sturgeon stocks and extensive efforts to improve conservation and
rehabilitation measures have been developed in a number of range states.
However, there is an urgent need to not only intensify the efforts but also to
vigorously enforce the protection plans and measures proposed in a harmonized
manner.
Conversely,
market demand for caviar and meat is growing creating ample opportunities for
sturgeon aquaculture. This development inherits both benefits and risks - in
particular for the design and operation of sturgeon hatcheries. While
aquaculture will necessarily focus on domestication of stocks with selection of
specific target traits, culture for release demands strategies to increase
genetic variability and avoid domestication effects. Good science is required
to strategically increase dual benefits. There is a need to develop
standardized guidelines, protocols and manuals that specifically serve both
purposes. Concurrently, proper identification of product origin and
traceability to the market are essential for effective enforcement to prevent
illegal trade.
ISS7
is your opportunity to address the above concerns and contribute to the
science-based management of sturgeons.
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| Sturgeon kebabs being cooked in Turkmenistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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