ИСТИНА

The Taimen, Hucho taimen, is the only species of the genus Hucho in Russian Federation. This freshwater species has wide historical distribution: it is known in some rivers of European part of Russia, in Siberian rivers from Ob’ to Indigirka, in the Baikal and Teletskoye Lakes, and in the Amur River basin (Tugur and Uda rivers). But recently the Taimen practically disappeared in most rivers of the Kama River drainage (Volga River basin). Its populations in the Pechora River drainage are in critical state. In most rivers of the Polar and Middle Ural it becomes very rare. The main reasons of dramatic decreasing of its number are poaching, damming, and pollution of rivers. That is why several populations, namely from European part of Russia and from the Polar and Middle Ural, were included in the Red book of Russian Federation (2001). The Japanese huchen (or Sakhalin taimen) earlier was also treated as a member of genus Hucho, but later it was included in separate monotypical genus Parahucho – P. perryi. This anadromous species occurs in the rivers and neighboring brackish waters of the Khabarovsk District and Primorskii Krai, in the Sakhalin Island, Hokkaido and northern part of Honshu Island. This species is characterized by late maturation (at 10-14 years with total length about 108-116 cm) and females spawning several times in their life, but only sporadically. Therefore this species has low speed of population reproduction and posses low population number. As a result of over harvesting (commercial fishing, poaching, and amateur fishing) the number of the Sakhalin taimen continuously decreases, and it disappeared in some rivers of the southern part of the Sakhalin Island and in the Primorskii Krai. Thus, the Sakhalin taimen was included in the Red book of Russian Federation (2001), in the Red book of the Sakhalin District (2000), and the Red book of Primorskii Krai (2005) as a vulnerable species. The list of species included in the Red book of Russian Federation was officially signed in 1997. Thus this year we can celebrate fifteen anniversary of the official recognition of vulnerable or critical states for both aforementioned species. But last years did not result in any appreciable progress of their states. Moreover the including of the Sakhalin taimen populations in the Red books resulting in the limitation of its catchments seemed more or less sufficient measure for the conservation of species, whereas the same measure is not enough for the conservation of the Taimen treated mainly due habitat loss and pollution. Certainly, special programs of artificial reproduction and re-introduction, and the organizing of special protected areas are necessary for both species.