Catch Info:

• Method:
  
• Gear:
  N/A

View details of SeafoodWatch Catch Methods

Description:

Often thought of as just the eggs of sturgeon, caviar can come from a wide variety of species. All have a different flavor profile and some are more sought after than others.

Traditionally caviar was sourced from sturgeon the Black and Caspian Seas, then from rivers in North America. Now other varieties of caviar can be sourced from all over the world.

In general, wild caviar is not sustainable. Many of the favored species of sturgeon and paddlefish are highly depleted. These species have long lives, making them less resilient to fishing pressure, and they often inhabit river habitats that are severely degraded. Caviar from farmed sturgeon and paddlefish is a more sustainable option, as is caviar from other species such as salmon, trout, whitefish and lumpfish. In farming operations, the females are not killed to harvest the caviar (it can be surgically removed or forced out via stripping) and can produce multiple batches of caviar.

External Links: