The aquaculture of acipenseriformes. Part 5. Dunabe Basin and Middle East

The history and contemporary state of global aquaculture of sturgeons and paddlefish are reviewed. 5th part is devoted to sturgeon breeding in the basin of Black sea (without countries of former USSR reviewed earlier) аnd in the Middle East. Six species of sturgeon once migrated in the Danube River and Turkish rivers Yeşilırmak, Kızılirmak and Sakarya for spawning: anadromous beluga Huso huso, Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, stellate sturgeon A.stellatus, European sturgeon A. sturio and the river resident ship sturgeon A. nudiventris and sterlet A. ruthenus. Sturgeons had played an important role in the history Black sea fisheries, but due to overexploitation, followed by extensive river regulations and deterioration of water quality decrease in their populations has led most of them to the verge of extinction. During the 20th Century, world demand for sturgeon meat and caviar has inflated the economic value of sturgeons so Danube basin countries and Turkey develop commercial aquaculture and conservational programs. As result of protective measures the limited natural spawning of beluga, Russian and stellate sturgeons and sterlet is preserved in Danube. In Sakarya River last spawning population of stellate sturgeon exists. These species and Siberian sturgeon are important objects of commercial aquaculture in all countries of Black sea basin. The leaders of commercial sturgeon farming in this region are Bulgaria and Israel. The sturgeon aquaculture of Hungary and Turkey developed rapidly. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are important importers of caviar. Saudi Arabia is large consumer of caviar and UAE is one of main re-exporter of caviar. Both Arab countries develop own sturgeon aquaculture.