Caspian countries supported extending the moratorium on commercial sturgeon fishing until 2026, Vasily Sokolov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, told reporters.

The ninth meeting of the Commission for the Conservation and Rational Use of Aquatic Bioresources of the Caspian Sea is taking place in Ashgabat. Representatives from Turkmenistan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Kazakhstan are participating in the commission's work.

"Regarding sturgeon, all parties supported extending the ban on commercial harvesting, meaning sturgeon fishing will be permitted next year only for scientific purposes or for artificial reproduction," he said.

Sokolov noted that the parties had decided to develop joint fishing regulations for the open part of the Caspian Sea beyond national jurisdictions. Russia will prepare a draft document, which, through the chair, Turkmenistan, will be circulated to all participants for review at the commission's next meeting.

The deputy head of Rosrybolovstvo reported that the meeting discussed the state of Caspian fish stocks. He stated that Russia advocates for conducting scientific research using a unified methodology, as each country currently conducts its own.

"The biggest concern is the change in fish food supply, which, of course, has an impact on the overall ecosystem and the state of stocks," Sokolov emphasized. He added that the falling Caspian Sea level is negatively impacting sturgeon food supply and slowing their population recovery.