Wild sturgeon is strictly protected in the country, with only farmed products allowed on the market
Two Russian citizens have been caught transporting some 260kg of sturgeon caviar and over 310kg of fish meat and are now being investigated for poaching, the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Wednesday.
FSB border guards and local police in Khabarovsk Region and the Jewish Autonomous Area in Russia’s Far East made the bust, the statement said. Officials released footage showing officers searching a car and laying out scores of packages containing the prized delicacy.
Depending on the sturgeon species, its salted roe can retail for between $475 and $1,140 per kg in Russia. However, only products from fish farms are allowed on the market.
The Caspian Sea is best known as the historic source of Russian caviar, but the Far East has some indigenous species of its own, such as the endangered Amur sturgeon, found in the river of the same name.
Police and border guards suspect the intercepted individuals of poaching, because they had no paperwork to prove the origin of their cargo. If found guilty, they could serve between five and eight years plus a hefty fine, or get a harsher sentence if investigators manage to prove an intention to sell.
Over the summer, a group analyzing Russian retail statistics reported a 9% surge in black caviar consumption in the first half of 2024, which industry experts said was driven by a steady growth in farm production.
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