Sturgeon caviar production in Russia rose by 5% in January–August to 45 tons

The Fish Union reported that fish farmers in the Russian Federation produced 45 tons of sturgeon caviar in January–August, which is 5% more than in the same period last year according to Rosstat. The union’s analytical center noted that after a slight dip at the beginning of 2026, sturgeon caviar output continues to grow steadily.

According to the results of 2025, sturgeon caviar production increased by 9% and reached 89 tons. This refers to caviar obtained in sturgeon farms, since in Russia industrial fishing for sturgeon in the Volga-Caspian basin has been banned since 2005. This measure is aimed at restoring the population of this valuable fish, whose stocks were seriously depleted by poaching.

Rosrybolovstvo believes that the ban on sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea should remain in force for at least another five years.

Since 2000, there has been a ban on beluga fishing, and since 2005 — on stellate sturgeon. The general ban on sturgeon fishing by all Caspian states — Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan — has been in effect since 2013, is introduced for one year, and is extended annually. Fishing is allowed only for scientific research purposes and for artificial reproduction.

The Caspian Sea is considered the richest body of water in the world in terms of the number and species diversity of sturgeon. The highest catches of sturgeon in the Caspian basin were recorded at the beginning of the 20th century — 39.4 thousand tons — and at the end of the 1970s — 27.4 thousand tons. A sharp decline in numbers began in 1991.

Sources

• Interfax