In January 2006, the UN imposed a full ban all exports of caviar from Russia and nations bordering the Caspian Sea, in an effort to delay the extinction of whole sturgeon populations. The remaining population of this prehistoric fish is only 30-percent of levels since the 1980’s. The beluga sturgeon, the most prized for caviar, is fourth on the World Wildlife Fund’s most-endangered species list and teeters on the brink of extinction. Although beluga sturgeon are the most imperiled, it is likely that other species will follow unless there is better management of sturgeon fisheries. Sturgeon is especially vulnerable to overfishing because it takes a long time for a female fish to reach maturity (up to 25 years) after which the fish may reproduce once every three or four years. (Caviar Emptor)
In the past week, the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) granted special dispensation to Iran to export 44 tons of caviar based on the exemption of Persian sturgeon, which Iran claims is a non-endangered species unique to Iranian waters in the south Caspian. (Payvand,18 April 2006)
Caspian countries are unhappy about this. They maintain that the Persian sturgeon is simply a loophole. Caviar of other sturgeon would be attributed as Persian sturgeon, thereby circumventing the quotas imposed. (Julian Evans, The Times (London), 22 April 2006
Keep in mind that the ban does nothing to alleviate poaching and black market caviar, which has been on the rise since the collapse of the Soviet Union. These quotas hurt the caviar industry in the Caspian, but they do not hurt the illegal caviar industry. In fact, it may drive prices higher creating even more of an incentive for caviar smuggling. This is only because consumers are willing to pay a premium for this luxury item. Of the caviar traded in the U.S., approximately 70 percent is black market. (Richard Adams Cary, The Philosopher Fish, 2005).
I cannot see how anyone can continue to purchase or consume caviar in good conscience, but perhaps I simply lack the class or refinement of taste to eat an endangered species to extinction.
