Make a Donation

Seafood Watch

Take Action

News from Julie Packard

Conservation Research

Our Conservation Efforts

Get Updates

Seafood Search

A-N
O-Z

Abalone
Arctic Char
Barramundi
Basa
Black Sea Bass
Bluefish
Bluenose
Capelin
Catfish
Caviar
Chilean Seabass
Clams
Cobia
Cod
Conch
Corvina
Crab
Crayfish
Croaker
Eel
Flounder
Grenadier
Grouper
Haddock
Hake
Halibut
Herring
Imitation Crab
Lingcod
Lobster
Mackerel
Mahi Mahi
Marlin
Monkfish
Mullet
Mussels

A-N
O-Z

Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Caviar

SEAFOOD	RATING	MARKET NAMES	WHERE CAUGHT	HOW CAUGHT
Caviar		Sturgeon Roe	U.S.	Farmed
Caviar		Beluga Caviar, Osetra Caviar, Sevruga Caviar	Imported	Wild-caught

Caviar, Sturgeon

Avoid imported caviar as most of it comes from sturgeon that are at risk of extinction. Your “Best Choice” is caviar from U.S.-farmed white sturgeon and paddlefish.

Health Alert

Environmental Defense Fund has issued a consumption advisory for imported wild caviar due to high levels of PCBs and mercury.

Summary

Caviar is the salted eggs of sturgeon. The majority of the world’s caviar comes from the Caspian Sea and is imported from Russia, Iran and Turkey. But overfishing

and water pollution

have put all Caspian Sea sturgeon at grave risk for extinction.

Sturgeon in the wild is vulnerable to overfishing as it simply doesn't reproduce quickly enough to meet the level of fishing. Like other long-lived fish, sturgeon don’t begin reproducing until later in life and then, only at very low levels. Illegal fishing threatens populations trying to recover from years of heavy fishing, and dams and water pollution make it difficult for wild sturgeon to reproduce.

The U.S. has banned the import of beluga caviar to protect Caspian Sea sturgeon.

Though the U.S. is only a minor caviar producer, sturgeon farming has grown in the last several years and is considered the “Best Choice” for caviar.

Scientific Reports About Our Ratings

Sturgeon Seafood Watch Report
Aquaculture Fact Cards
Caviar Fact Card

	Print a pocket-size Seafood Watch guide to take with you. Download a guide now
Mobile phone users log on to mobile.seafoodwatch.org. iPhone and iPhone touch users, you can get the most up-to-date Seafood Watch recommendations on your iPhone or iPod touch.

How fish are caught or farmed makes a difference.

Learn more

Celebrating 25 Years of Ocean Conservation