The Ramsar Convention, or the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially Waterfowl Habitat, signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, is an international environmental treaty signed by 168 states, including Russia, to, among other key points, conserve species and sustain wetlands.

"Unfortunately, local authorities [in the Astrakhan Region, sturgeon habitat] do not pay attention to this legislation, simply because they do not know this treaty. But given the current ecological and political situation, if tomorrow sturgeons disappear, we will face many international accusations and multi-million fines," Andrei Degterev, former criminal investigator and one of Russia's leading specialists on the legality of sturgeon species preservation, told Sputnik.