Sturgeon, which has an important place in the fishery history of our country and our region with the production of caviar, which is one of the products with the highest economic value obtained from nature, has 27 species in the world. Unfortunately, many of them are among the most threatened species worldwide today. Many sturgeon species are now on the verge of extinction, due to their longevity and late adulthood, illegal trade, dams built on rivers, degradation of natural habitats, division of migration routes, bycatch and similar factors. This situation, which endangers not only the future of these fish, which has existed in our seas for 200 million years, but also the food safety of human beings, is a threat to the World Nature Conservation Foundation (WWF), which we represent in Turkey, as well as the World Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS). , is also closely monitored by international organizations such as TRAFFIC. The Global Sturgeon Strategy, developed to prevent this negative trend, draws attention to the prevention of bycatch, the protection of main habitats and migration routes and sturgeon stocks, informing the public and supporting interest groups.
The survival of the sturgeon in our geography is one of the priority issues of WWF-Turkey. However, there is a fact that these and similar global problems are at a level that no single party can overcome alone anymore.
For this reason, it requires all of us to take active responsibility, from international organizations to national decision-makers, from the scientific world to all economic sectors that use natural resources, from civil society to individuals. In this holistic picture, the initiatives taken or to be taken by sensitive people such as Mr. Güven Genç have a different meaning. I believe that these valuable efforts, embodied in works such as “The Hidden History of Samsun Fishermen 1935-2014”, “The Precious Sturgeon of Çarşamba 1905-2016” will be a source of inspiration for future generations.
Dr. Sedat KALEM
WWF- TURKEY
Nature Conservation Director
