Tsar quality
PRODUCTION CYCLE
Above: Russian caviar
kg (£462) in 2014, the caviar price decreased by 22% to €422 per kg (£363) in 2018.” Prices remained stable in 2019 and, surprisingly perhaps, increased by 10% in 2020. The report goes on: “Recently, the Chinese government has published a new regula�on to combat water pollu�on. This directly affects the aquaculture produc�on of Chinese caviar and may cause several farms to close. “ EUMOFA reports that the Chinese expor�ng company Kaluga Queen managed to secure a delay un�l 2024 before having to meet the new standards. “As China increases its focus on sustainability and increasing domes�c consump�on, there is hope that price pressure and compe��on for other producers may so�en,” the study adds. It also predicts that, as pandemic restric�ons ease, demand from tradi�onal outlets for caviar such as high-end restaurants and luxury cruise ships should see an increase. According to CITES (the Conven�on on Interna�onal Trade In Endangered Species), Europeans consumed around 126 kg of the delicacy in 2018 with France and Germany being the largest at 57.9 and 25.7 kg respec�vely. EU states are also important producers, led by Italy at 54 tons and France at 45 tons. Precise consump�on figures for the UK are not available, but Britons imported around four tons of caviar in the pandemic year of 2020. While China remains the largest player, EUMOFA says other countries are ge�ng in on the act. Russia too is partly back in business, harves�ng between 40 and 50 tonnes of sturgeon caviar last year. In 2019, there were 80 farms in Russia producing sturgeon and caviar, mainly for home consump�on. However, it has been alleged that the Russian produc�on numbers include falsely labelled caviar from China and Uruguay. Outside China, Americans are among the largest consumers of caviar and it is also a small but growing producer. Many might be surprised to learn that in the 19th century the United States produced 90% of the world’s caviar, sending 15 trainloads a day to New York and all the major European capitals. It was such a common dish at one point it was served free in saloons to encourage thirsty drinkers. Today, Americans – those who can afford it – s�ll love their caviar and it remains one of the major markets as well as being an exporter, mainly to Japan, Canada and the EU. In turn the US market is supplied by several na�ons, with Germany and France being the main providers. These two countries are also the largest consumers in the EU and buy mainly from China. But France also imported a small amount from Madagascar, an indica�on of how many countries are now producing caviar. The EUMOFA report says the pandemic has had a strong impact on the caviar market. As the hotel catering and restaurant (HORECA) segment was largely shut down along with a drama�c reduc�on in airline and cruise ship travel, the tradi�onal market outlets for caviar virtually disappeared. Whether some of the recent changes become permanent remains to be seen, but EUMOFA believes some new trends could stay around. “The possibility of purchases directly from the producers assures consumers of the origin and quality of the caviar. As pandemic restric�ons ease, demand from tradi�onal outlets for caviar such as high-end restaurants and luxury travel is likely to pick up again,” the report states. FF
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Caviar (Vince).indd 43
Es�mates from 2016 show that roughly 36% of sturgeons are reared in flowthrough systems, followed by recircula�ng aquaculture systems (21%), and cages (18%). Exploi�ng sturgeons for caviar produc�on is costly because it takes many years for female sturgeons to reproduce. Included in the cost is also the selec�on process of selec�ng females for caviar produc�on. The sex can be determined a�er an average of three years of farming, depending on the species, through using ultrasound. During this period, both male and female sturgeons are reared, and a�er sex determina�on, males are harvested.
MAIN VARIETIES
SIBERIAN: In the wild, it takes 19-20 years for this species to reach maturity in northern Siberia and 11- 12 years in southern Siberian rivers (par�cularly the Lena River). In cap�vity, the �me for reaching maturity is 6-8 years. KALUGA: Wild maturity for Kaluga is reached a�er 14-23 years, but the �me is halved in cap�vity. Spawning takes place once every four to five years. China has developed hybrid species of kaluga sturgeon and produc�on has increased rapidly over the past 10-15 years. BELUGA: Probably the best known name in the West. Maturity is reached a�er 19-22 years in the wild. In cap�vity, the species reaches maturity a�er 16-18 years. DANUBE: Maturity is reached at 12-16 years, with spawning every four to five years. In cap�vity, maturity is reached a�er 9-11 years. 1 STARRY: Maturity in cap�vity is reached a�er 8 - 10 years. In the wild females mature with an average age of 9.7 years and rarely spawn more than three �mes in their lives. STERLET: This species matures faster than other sturgeon varie�es. In the wild, males reach sexual maturity at an age of 3-6 years old, one to two years earlier than the females, while in cap�vity maturity is reached a�er 4-5 years.
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07/06/2021 16:06:36
