What Is Beluga Caviar?
Beluga caviar is a delicacy that comes from the beluga sturgeon, which is also sometimes referred to as the “European sturgeon.” The caviar comes from the roe, or eggs, that are deposited by the female beluga sturgeons. The fish are most commonly found in the basins of the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. They are also sometimes found in the Adriatic. Unfortunately, the beluga sturgeon has been overfished and is in jeopardy. One of the main reasons for this overfishing is the market demand for beluga caviar. In fact, the beluga sturgeon is currently listed as “threatened” under the subcategory “critically endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) List of Threatened Species. In hopes of allowing the fish to repopulate, some countries have banned the importation of beluga caviar. In some cases, those bans have been lifted or partially lifted.
