Part 3/7:
Yet, as demand soared, especially through the 19th and early 20th centuries, overfishing took its toll on sturgeon populations. By the end of the 19th century, the once plentiful fish grew scarce due to rampant harvesting. A documented 7 million pounds of sturgeon were caught in 1887, yet by 1905, this drastic figure plummeted to a mere 20,000 pounds.
By 2006, the UN enforced a global ban on wild-caught caviar due to endangered sturgeon species, leading to the prevailing market of farmed caviar that we are familiar with today.
The Caviar Production Process
The process of caviar production is an intricate ballet of sustainability and safety. Today, nearly all caviar is sourced from sturgeon aquaculture, emphasizing sustainable practices to protect the dwindling wild populations.