Sturgeon & Caviar
The issue:
Sturgeon, famous for spawning caviar, of course. Caviar, as you know it, is the salted eggs of sturgeon. Mostly the fish themselves are not eaten. Eating Beluga caviar from Russia not only threatens the survival of the fish themselves, but puts money in the pockets of those fabulous folks from the Russian Mafia, who now control most of the trade. Sturgeon have also been known to be contaminated with mercury: so there's another reason to withdraw munch status. Stocks are so slow to regenerate that 107 years (yes, 107 years) after the Canadian shortnose fishery was closed, they've still not recovered. Read more about the caviar trade.Action:
Only eat caviar from specialist farms in France, and in the US, only a minor caviar producer, sturgeon and paddlefish farming has grown in the last several years and is considered the best choice for caviar. So the next time someone says, "It's Beluga, darling" you can reply "I don't finish off whole species over cocktails".Quote:
"Illegal fishing and trade, most of which is controlled by the Russian Mafia, is threatening the very existence of the sturgeon and unless urgent action is taken to combat this illegal activity, caviar will become a thing of the past." - Alexander Shestakov, Programme Officer at WWF Russia.Read more:
On the menu:
Caviar, including Beluga, for sale.(© WWF-Canon / Emma DUNCAN).
design & technology by getunik.com