Sturgeon meat and caviar production: Global update 2017

Abstract

This paper presents an update on the global sturgeon and caviar production until 2017, attempting to continue previous efforts on summarizing the global trends in these markets. For the current update, an expanded data base was derived from questionnaires sent to 86 regional contacts in 46 countries, mostly farmers or scientists, and personal interviews. A total of 2,329 commercial sturgeon farms were recorded by 2017 globally, which represented an increase by 7% compared to 2016.Of these farms 54% were located in China, followed by Russia (24%), the Middle East (8%), the Far East (7%) and Europe (6%). Among the rearing technologies flow-through (FT) systems (36%) were most common, followed by recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) (21%), cages (18%), mix FT/RAS (11%), and ponds (6%). In total the aquaculture sturgeon biomass production peaked at about 129,608 t in the year 2015, with a decline to 119,979 t in 2016, and to 102,327 t in 2017. China contributed about 79,638 t to the overall production in 2017, followed by Russia (6,800 t), Armenia (6,000 t), Iran (2,514 t), and 52 other countries with less than 1,000 t each.This production exceeded the fishery harvest during the 1970-1980s by more than four times. Of the 25 species of Acipenseridae, 13 pure species and four hybrids were farmed for meat with Acipenser baerii dominating production in 2016 with a share of 39.5%, followed by the two hybrids, Huso dauricus × Acipenser schrenckii and A. baerii × A. schrenckii (35.6%), as well as A. schrenckii (10.2%). Global caviar production increased during the last years and the production for the year 2017 amounted to approximately 364 t. China contributed more than 100 t to the overall production in 2017, followed by Russia (49 t), Italy (43 t), France (37 t) and diverse other countries. The species composition in caviar production in 2016 was dominated by A. baerii (31% of the total volume), followed by Acipenser gueldenstaedtii (20%), the hybrid H. dauricus × A. schrenckii (13%), and Acipenser transmontanus (12%), while other species jointly contributed 24% to the overall yield. The trends of sturgeon meat and caviar productions of the last 5 years and the forecasts for the future suggest a short-term scenario in which the demand remains lower than the supply. In order to absorb the growing production, the market will have to be expanded by targeting new market segments. K E Y W O R D Saquaculture, markets, production data, sturgeon

Ploidy Levels and Fitness-Related Traits in Purebreds and Hybrids Originating from Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) and Unusual Ploidy Levels of Siberian Sturgeon (A. baerii)

“…Additionally, the scope for expansion of sturgeon aquaculture has constantly been increasing these days due to the high commercial importance of black caviar. Notably, a considerable amount of aquaculture caviar production directly comes from sturgeon hybrids [ 31 ]. This led to increased production of various sturgeon hybrids formed between two species that originated from different parental ploidy levels in commercial aquaculture farms for better vigor of the hybrids [ 18 , 28 , 38 ].…”

“…While the importance of hybridization in the sturgeon breeding has been substantially studied [ 18 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], extensive research has not been conducted yet on the influence of polyploidy in cultured sturgeon. Today, sturgeon farming is a rapidly growing branch of aquaculture for the production of black caviar and boneless meat [ 31 ]. To meet the global market demand of black caviar, the commercial sturgeon farms are extensively using cultured broodstock that necessitates the need to understand the physiological fitness in polyploid hybrids.…”

Multifactorial Causes of Chronic Mortality in Juvenile Sturgeon (Huso huso)

“…Since the end of the 20th century, sturgeon farming has partially replaced meat and caviar production from fisheries. Now, Acipenseridae , including the species Huso huso , are reared for different purposes, depending on the commercial supply, for meat and caviar production [ 1 ].…”

Volatile Organic Compounds Profile in White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) Caviar at Different Stages of Ripening by Multiple Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction

“…Caviar is defined as the product made from fish eggs of the Acipenseridae family by treating with food grade salt [1]. During the last 15 years, the presence on the market of caviar from aquaculture origin has increased and estimated to amount to 365 tons in 2017 [2], while the product coming from fisheries gradually disappeared on the legal market due to the global limit of capture of wild sturgeons. Sturgeons species are listed in Annex II and I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) [3] and, starting from 2006, CITES has no longer issued any quota for the marketing of caviar from wild stocks, thus catches for caviar production are completely forbidden nowadays.…”

“…Sturgeons species are listed in Annex II and I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) [3] and, starting from 2006, CITES has no longer issued any quota for the marketing of caviar from wild stocks, thus catches for caviar production are completely forbidden nowadays. European sturgeon farmers in 2017 produced about 140 tons of caviar, with Italy as production leader with 43 tons, followed by France, Poland and Germany [2]. In such a scenario, the quality assurance and a solid characterisation of caviar as a precious product appear as fundamental issues for the safeguard of the Italian and European markets.…”