Beluga Caviar: �e Edangered Delicacy

Caviar is a precious delicacy produced by curing the eggs of certain species of �sh. While many di�erent species of �sh are sought for their delectable eggs, the term “caviar” is reserved for �sh who belong to the order of Acipenseriformes. While there are three types of caviar, the most valuable is that of the Beluga Sturgeon, Huso Huso. Beluga caviar is ideally very dark in color and tastes “‘like the sea’ with a buttery aftertaste.” (Catarci, 2004) Beluga caviar is priced at $7,000-$8,000 per kilogram and the oldest of Belugas (about 100 years old) begin to produce an extremely rare white caviar that is sold for $24,000 per kilogram. (Catarci, 2004) H. Huso has been found in the Black, Caspian, Azov, and Adriatic Seas of Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, the wild Beluga population has dwindled as a result of human predation for their valuable eggs. As a result, that last wild native populations are in the Black Sea, and continue to decline yearly. In addition to over�shing, the species has been denied access to its spawning grounds in many of its former locales due to the damming of certain rivers. (Gesner, 2010) �e United States is the largest consumer of caviar, importing more than half of the entire legal world caviar market in 2002. Because of irresponsible �shing practices, H. Huso has become nearly extinct in the wild. (Gesner, 2010) Most populations depend on yearly stocking from hatcheries in order to keep the wild population from totally collapsing. �ere has been no success in increasing the population.

Introduction Due to the high demand of the eggs of the Beluga Sturgeon for human consumption, the species, Huso huso, is nearing extinction in wild popultions. �e purpose of this paper is to discuss the various reasons for the sharp decline in Beluga Sturgeon populations in the last two decades. Some reasons are biological, such as the extremely long lifespan of the �sh in comparison to many other varieties. Other reasons are that of over�shing and poaching. While much e�ort is made to save the sturgeon, the e�orts are generally futile.

Abstract

Much e�ort has been made by both the United States and the international community to preserve the wild population of H. Huso. In September 2005, Beluga caviar was banned from import into the United States, while still allowing “personal amounts” of 250 grams or less be carried by travelers. �e ban only applied to caviar sourced from the Caspian Sea. (Barringer, 2005) �e ban was revised less than a month later to include Black Sea Beluga Caviar, since Caspian Caviar could easily be imported under the guise of Black Sea Caviar. (Dean, 2005) Shortly afterward, in 2006, the United Nations banned the export of Beluga Caviar only to lift it after one year – less than a complete spawning cycle of H. Huso. (Barringer, 2007) �e main e�orts have been geared at policy change and enforcement, however, the policies are largely ine�ective. Because local industries depend on the sturgeon for food and money, local authorities do not enforce bans on their capture. Furthermore, in Kazakhstan, the authorities in charge of protecting the �sh often use their power to exploit its resources. (Discovery, 2011)

Preservation of the Beluga Sturgeon

�ere are several biological limitations of H. Huso that prevent it from repopulating to a level that would change it’s “Critically Endangered” status by the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. H. Huso has a lifespan of over 100 years and because it can reach sizes of up to six meters, has no known predators – besides humans. (Choe, 2012) Because it has such a long lifespan, H. Huso takes 10-18 years to reach sexual maturity, and then only spawns onces every three to four years after that. (Gesner, 2010) As if it were not di�cult enough for the stugeon to repopulate, it has been observed that Beluga Sturgeon may be a�ected by the Allee E�ect. (FAO, 2011 | Gesner, 2010) �e Allee E�ect proposes that some species thrive better when around others of its kind. (Stephens, 1999) If a species does more poorly when not in congregations, its lack of population density will only further contribute to its lack of population density.

Biological Limitation H. Huso should not be seen as an animal un�t to live because of its inability to reproduce at a rate that keeps the species going. �e root causes of H. Huso population decline are actually brought on by humans. Beginning in the 1960s, many of the rivers that serve as spawning grounds for the anadromous H. Huso were beginning to be dammed o� for agricultural, municipal, and energy purposes. (Gesner, 2010) �is causes a large problem for the anadromous Beluga Sturgeon attempting to migrate upstream to spawn. Some dams contain elevators to carry the �sh to beyond the dam and access their breeding grounds. After the Beluga lays the eggs, they become fertilized in the water and the resulting larvae drift for about a week back toward the sea with the river current. As they pass through the same dam the parents had to pass, the are often destroyed by the turbines in the hydroelectric dam. (Chakrabarty, 2003) To quantify the impact of dams of sturgeon population, look at the decrease of H. Huso in the heavily dammed Volga River, to that of the un-dammed Ural River, both of which empty into the Caspian Sea. In 1994, about 7,000 Beluga were caught in the Volga River, decreasing to 2,800 by the year 2002. �e Ural River, on the other hand, only saw a decrease from 3,900 catches to 2,500 during the same time period. (Caviar Emtor, 2005) Because of a huge demand for the rare eggs of a rare �sh, the Beluga Sturgeon has also fallen victim to over�shing. (Fabricant, 2004) In addition to commercial �shing, many individuals in small villages in Kazakhstan are dependent on �shing for income, and a large beluga can produce upward $30,000 of caviar. (Caviar Ma�a, 2008)

Reasons for Population Decline

�e barbels in front of the Beluga Sturgeon’s mouth are used to sense the presence of food, as well as direct the food into its mouth. (Photo Credit: Charles Simmons)

An Iranian caviar packer holding a 2kg canister of caviar. He must wear a mask to prevent contamination of the caviar. �is much caviar can be worth up to $8,000. A large beluga sturgeon can yield up to 3kg of caviar, however, it takes 10 years to mature, and most sturgeon in the wild do not survive for that amount of time. (Photo Credit Reuters/Caren Firouz)

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Image Citations �is is a picture of a �sh that I drew while I procrastinated making this poster. It is relevant to my topic because it is a �sh, and this project is about a big �sh.