Where is the black caviar? “Black caviar for the poor”: why the Chinese delicacy filled the Russian market

Igor Ermachenkov

Jars of black caviar have long become a luxury item - their price tags in locked supermarket cabinets scare away even middle class. The price is a reflection of the catastrophic state of the sturgeon population, which is hunted by poachers, making billions on this literal black market. At the same time, sturgeon can be successfully raised in captivity, without threat to life, “milked” once every two years, legally receiving caviar. Thus, fisheries in Vologda region became a legal supplier of the delicacy for the Kremlin and the International space station.

Cages with precious sturgeons, located in the river with the beautiful name Raven, do not freeze even in severe frost thanks to warm waters Cherepovets State District Power Plant. The caviar of beluga, kaluga, stellate sturgeon, sterlet and other sturgeon species is fed here. “Black gold” can be obtained once every two years; one “milking” brings caviar worth approximately 100 thousand rubles. After “milking”, which comes with surgical precision, the fish is released back into the reservoir alive and healthy. In contrast to the traditional method of obtaining caviar - catching and slaughtering fish, which could still produce offspring for decades.

Sturgeon on the farm are raised using closed-cycle technology: caviar is obtained, fertilized, and fish fry are raised, which in turn produce caviar again. The fish that produces eggs, or, as they say here, the broodstock, is the main asset of the enterprise. Therefore, females are given an ultrasound to understand their readiness to release eggs, and specialists with a veterinary education are hired first of all, and only secondarily - with a fisheries education. Each fish on the farm has a chip that is sewn into the fin, and it allows you not only to track the history of its “milking”, but also to determine which sturgeon the caviar in the jar is from.

“Any manipulation with fish is stressful for it. If wild fish were “milked”, then a third would probably die from a broken heart. But our fish knows a person from birth, and even when they are young they get used to being fed, so "It doesn't have a killer shock. The fish spends several minutes without consequences in the open air while the caviar is taken from it," explains the head of the Russian Caviar House company, Alexander Novikov, who created a sturgeon farm in the Vologda region.

According to him, just five years ago, fish mortality during caviar collection was on average 20-30% in the industry, but on the farm, thanks to the sterility and proper care, managed to reduce this figure to 1-2%. Caviar obtained from “milked” sturgeon is no different from “wild” sturgeon and even surpasses it in quality. Aquaculture, that is, "domesticated" fish, live in clean water, while the Volga is becoming dirtier every year, and sturgeons, being bottom-dwelling fish, also dig in industrial bottom sediments.

Caviar for astronauts

Not far from the farm there is a production workshop where caviar is packaged and sent to stores. There are two types of caviar on the shelves: granular and pressed. If the first is the usual caviar in jars, then the second is a kind of concentrated dehydrated caviar. An ancient delicacy of Russian cuisine, mentioned in the works of Gogol and Gilyarovsky. It is these viscous caviar sausages that are sent to the International Space Station for complete protein nutrition for both Russian cosmonauts and foreign astronauts.

“In addition to the Kremlin, we have other interesting buyers. Over the past four years, we have made three deliveries of caviar for the needs of the International Space Station. This is not ordinary granular, but very useful pressed caviar. The quality requirements for it are also cosmic, but we have mastered this technology. Caviar is sent to astronauts in small jars, 20 grams, to pamper them, and this is usually timed to coincide with the holidays, on New Year for example," says Novikov.

85% poaching

An exquisite gourmet feast is good when the caviar does not come to the table from the belly of a beautiful beluga, of which there are negligibly few left in nature, torn open by a poacher’s knife. However, unfortunately, this is still what happens in most cases. According to the head of the Russian Caviar House company, Alexander Novikov, who created a sturgeon farm in the Vologda region, up to 85% of caviar on the market is poached. At the same time, it is impossible to distinguish a jar of illegally obtained caviar from the outside - the elite product is packaged beautifully. And it’s not just about the ethical side of the issue; poached caviar can be dangerous, since it is impossible to trace its origin.

“The main poaching region is not the Astrakhan region, but Dagestan. As for sales, poached caviar is mainly sold either under the counter or in markets. Also, part of the poached products is documented as aquaculture and thus ends up in retail trade. You can no longer tell such a fake by looking at the bank. Poachers take the same can and make false documents. The only way to protect sturgeon in the wild is to buy caviar from bona fide fish breeders,” explains Novikov.

It is for this purpose that the Union of Sturgeon Breeders is being created in Russia, which will unite responsible producers and will contribute to the development of legislation aimed at the development of the aquaculture industry. Only enterprises that have confirmed their business reputation, high quality of goods and are responsible for the legality of every gram of caviar can become members of the union.

"The big problem is consumer consciousness. I always ask rich people: 'Are you going to wear a stolen jacket?' No? So why are you eating stolen food, stolen by a poacher not even from you, but from your children?" After this, people have an understanding and insight. It is necessary to reduce the demand for poached caviar, for this we are conducting a campaign "Vote with your fork" so that restaurant visitors and consumers of delicacies became more conscious and did not harm the environment,” reflects the head of the marine program World Fund wildlife(WWF) Russia Konstantin Zgurovsky.

Sturgeon Rescue

Conservation of sturgeon and black caviar, one of national symbols, is conducted on state level. Russia was the first country in the Caspian Sea to adopt a moratorium on commercial sturgeon fishing back in 2002. And from January 1, Russia achieved the accession of the Caspian states (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) to the moratorium on sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea.

In addition, the most rare species sturgeons, such as beluga and kaluga, have recently been considered especially valuable species animals listed in the Red Data Book - for their catching and sale, they face not administrative, but criminal liability. But little has been done; to preserve sturgeon in the wild and legal black caviar on tables, aquaculture needs to be developed, Zgurovsky believes.

According to him, the law on aquaculture adopted by the State Duma gives legislative framework for its development. But it is also very important to have a mechanism to trace the entire chain of origin of fish and caviar. Currently, all Russian fisheries produce about three thousand tons of sturgeon per year. With the adoption of a plan to support fish producers, which provides for the allocation of five billion rubles for the development of aquaculture, this figure could increase to 20-25 thousand tons per year by 2020. As for legal caviar, its volumes, according to Novikov’s estimates, from 25 tons in 2013 may increase to 50-70 tons by 2020.

However, the executive director of the Association of Production and Trade Enterprises of the Fish Market, Alexey Aronov, notes that domestic aquaculture enterprises cannot actively develop due to the imperfection of the regulatory framework, the lack of the necessary infrastructure, the planned zeroing out of import duties on fish within the WTO, and so on.

“In total, 150 thousand tons of fish are artificially grown in the country, but the main volume - about 110 thousand tons - is accounted for by less valuable carp species, the volume of salmon grown last year was about 20 thousand tons, and sturgeon - about 3-4 thousand tons.

For comparison, neighboring Norway produces a million tons of aquaculture fish per year, supplying it to Russia. By developing aquaculture, it would be possible to completely squeeze out poached caviar from the shelves and preserve beautiful sturgeon in the wild,” says the expert.

During the production and processing process, our sturgeon caviar is sorted according to organoleptic characteristics (color, size, taste, grain elasticity), as well as according to the method of preparation. The salt content in granular caviar is the same, but in different types and varieties it is felt differently. Black caviar is sold under the following brands:

Pasteurized granular caviar

In 2018, we improved the production technology of the “Standard” variety, as a result of which the differences between the varieties became practically indistinguishable, and the division of pasteurized sturgeon caviar into varieties became impractical.

Unpasteurized granular caviar

Caviar variety / Characteristics

Grain size	medium (1.5–2 mm)	medium and large (2-3 mm)	medium and large (2-3 mm)
Grain color	dark gray to black	gray to brownish	dark gray to brownish
The taste of caviar	tender caviar, lightly salted		rich, with a slight bitterness
Appearance	shiny, with a translucent shell, slightly moist		silky texture, delicate translucent shell

The “Classic”, “Premier” and “Imperial” varieties differ from each other in the age and size of the fish from which the caviar is obtained. A special difference between the “Imperial” variety is that it is prepared using caviar only from fish over 15 years old.

For its production, the brine method is used (salting in brine) at a temperature of 40°C, after which the caviar is pressed into a homogeneous mass. Pressed caviar is made using pure salt, the content of which is no more than 5%. It is not divided into varieties, but our assortment includes two types of pressed caviar.

Astrakhan	Pressed sausage

pasteurized	unpasteurized

The consistency of pressed caviar in a sausage casing is firmer than that of Astrakhanka pressed caviar.

CAVIAR BY FISH SPECIES GROWED IN OUR AQUACULTURE

Caviar differs not only in the methods of preparation and extraction, but also in the types of fish.

Type of fish/Characteristics	Grain size	Grain color	Taste
Sturgeon	medium and large (1.5-3 mm)	gray to dark bronze or black	delicate caviar, with characteristic notes of nuts and cream
Sevruzhka	medium (1.5 - 2 mm)	brownish to black	pronounced, with notes of nuts and cream
Bester	medium and large (2-3 mm)	from silver gray to anthracite shades	bright caviar, buttery, close to the taste of beluga caviar
Sterlet	small (1-1.5 mm)	light brown to dark gray	subtle, with “marine” notes

Beluga caviar is considered to be the most valuable and best caviar. Beluga – amazing fish, capable of reaching enormous sizes and living up to the age of 100 years. Unfortunately, in modern conditions this is almost impossible, and this species is now the least common, and its caviar is the rarest and most expensive.
Nowadays they are bred in aquaculture farms as purebreds. sturgeon fish(Russian sturgeon, Siberian sturgeon), and their hybrids: Russian-Lena sturgeon, stellate sturgeon with sterlet, Amur sturgeon and kaluga. Caviar from “pure” sturgeon breeds is considered more valuable and tasty. The second factor is age: the older the fish, the better (and larger) the caviar from it. For example, in our assortment such caviar is produced under the Imperial brand. As for the type of caviar, this is rather a matter of taste, since many people find the taste of the smallest and least valuable sterlet caviar the most attractive.

Products under the Russian Caviar House brand are real black caviar from the leader of the Russian caviar market. Currently, sturgeon breeding for the purpose of obtaining caviar has become widespread. However, the vast majority of fish farms use closed-circuit reservoirs, which does not have the best effect on the taste of caviar. Our sturgeon breeding farm is located on the Suda River, in an ecologically favorable area of the Vologda region, the fish are kept in cages in running water, in conditions as close as possible to natural ones. Therefore, the taste of our black caviar is pure, without any disreputable shades or flavors. Thanks to the technology of intravital extraction of caviar, our broodstock is the oldest in Russia, some individuals are more than 15 years old, and the older the fish, the tastier and more valuable its caviar.
At the RTF Diana production plant, part of the Group of Companies, a food safety management system (FSMS) has been implemented and is successfully operating in accordance with the requirements of ISO 22000, the FSSC 22000 certification scheme, recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). An audit is carried out annually by an independent inspector of the Russian branch of DQS GmbH. Therefore, our black caviar is a guaranteed environmentally friendly and safe product.
One of our key advantages is the consistently high quality of products over many years, which is annually confirmed by diplomas and awards.
Red caviar under our brand is caviar, the place of extraction and storage of which is Kamchatka and Sakhalin. Red caviar is packaged at our production facility in Moscow, after mandatory pre-selection for organoleptic parameters and laboratory testing for food safety.

IN this moment a kilogram of black caviar can be bought in Moscow and St. Petersburg at a price of 40,000 to 90,000 rubles.
The price for legal sturgeon caviar starts from 45,000 rubles per 1 kilogram, and this cost is relevant only for large packaging (500 - 1,000 g). A small 100-gram jar will cost at least 5,000 rubles, that is, already 50,000 rubles per 1 kg (if you do not take into account special offers and promotions from suppliers). The price of black sturgeon caviar of the highest category, obtained from individuals at least 15 years old, will be from 70,000 rubles per 1 kg.
The cost of black caviar also depends on the type of caviar: sterlet caviar is cheaper than sturgeon caviar, and beluga caviar - the most valuable and rare today - will cost one and a half to two times more expensive than classic sturgeon caviar.

There are two main components that determine the high cost of real (natural) black caviar.
1. It's valuable food product with unique taste qualities that have no analogues.
2. This is a rather rare product, the production of which now involves large investments.
Indeed, the current cost of the delicacy is puzzling; some even accuse manufacturers of artificially inflating prices. In fact, the explanation for the current situation is simple: while people were extracting caviar from the wild, and the volumes natural resources seemed inexhaustible, the cost of black caviar included, in fact, only the costs of fishing, salting, packaging of caviar and its transportation. Now fish have to be grown, which is associated with enormous costs. Moreover, sturgeon is extremely difficult to breed and keep. To get caviar, a female sturgeon must reach sexual maturity, which is at least 6–9 years. All this time, it is necessary to bear the risks of not only her death or illness, but also the costs of feeding and maintenance. However, despite the high price, the result is worth it: we can eat caviar of the highest quality and without harming the environment.

Given the moratorium on the extraction of caviar from the wild, which has been in effect since 2007, it makes no difference where the aquaculture farm for caviar production is located. The aquaculture of the Russian Caviar House is located in an ecologically clean area without industrial enterprises, which has the best effect on the quality of the product.
Historically, the stereotype has taken root that “real” black caviar is only “wild” and only from Astrakhan. Once upon a time it was like this. But today the situation has changed, and the Astrakhan region holds the sad first place in the amount of poached caviar sold through aquaculture farms. More than 70% of such products are of poached origin: many Astrakhan companies do not hesitate to buy caviar from poachers and pass it off as produced under their own brand.
In addition, the environmental situation in the Caspian Sea is also deplorable, which casts doubt on the beneficial properties of Astrakhan caviar.

Some argue that caviar in Russia has long been “not the same”, but imported caviar from France, Iran, Canada and other countries is much tastier. We hasten to disappoint the “experts”: most often, foreign producers have no experience in producing this product, they do not know how the taste of caviar is influenced by many factors when growing fish... What can we say about the quality of such caviar if foreign producers have difficulties already at the creation stage the basic element of aquaculture - raising broodstock, i.e. female sturgeon?
It is also worth noting that among imported black caviar, Chinese caviar is beginning to occupy an increasing share. Considering the level of pollution of China's rivers and the general unfavorable environmental situation, as well as the lack of government quality standards for the production of black caviar, you should be careful when purchasing such products.

The most common and safe preservative is LIV-1. It is a mixture of salt-containing additives - sorbic and ascorbic acids. It is this new generation preservative that the Russian Caviar House company uses in the production of its unpasteurized black caviar.
Salt has the main preservative property. But for caviar to be lightly salted, the amount of salt should be minimal. Therefore, manufacturers use mild, gentle, but no less effective approved food additives.
For example, in order to mask the unpleasant taste and smell of a spoiled product, substances hazardous to human health that are prohibited for use in the food industry - for example, sodium tetraborate (borax) - can be added to a counterfeit product.

There are two traditions of serving black caviar – Russian and European. In Europe, caviar is served in special caviar bowls - large containers with ice - where a small glass or crystal vase with caviar is placed. In Russia, a few minutes before serving, caviar is placed in glass, porcelain, or silver containers, but no ice is added. It so happened historically that in Russia black caviar was always served fresh, but it took a long time to transport it to Europe. During transportation, caviar lost its freshness and ended up on the table of Europeans with various flavors, which had to be masked with ice and lemon, which eliminated the “fishy” smell. Therefore, the statement that caviar should be served on ice is wrong. On the contrary, caviar should warm up a little at room temperature - only then will it reveal its true taste to you.
What drinks goes with black caviar?
Black caviar is a traditional appetizer for the most traditional Russian drink - vodka. True connoisseurs simply snack on vodka with caviar, scooping it up with a caviar spoon. Famous singer F.I. Chaliapin first ate caviar, and only then drank a shot of vodka. “They don’t eat caviar, they wash it down with vodka,” he used to say. The slightly salty, fatty taste of caviar is only emphasized by a sip of “fire water.”
Although Russian traditions of eating black caviar reached other countries, of course, they could not help but undergo changes. Thus, another classic combination originated in France - black caviar and champagne. It is good sparkling wine that goes well with the contrasting salty taste of caviar. We must remember that we are talking only about the best, elite varieties of classic French champagne of the luxury class cuvee.

Pasteurized caviar is caviar that has been heat-treated in autoclaves or water baths. It differs from “live” grain by its tighter grain and more neutral taste. Preservatives are not added to it, because... pasteurization replaces preservation.
The main purpose of pasteurization is to increase the shelf life of the product. Unlike unpasteurized caviar, a pasteurized product can be stored for up to 24 months, maintaining its beneficial and nutritional properties. This allows you to transport caviar even to the most remote regions without worrying about the safety of the quality of the product.
One of the disadvantages of a pasteurized product is that such caviar may lose some taste. Why is this happening? During pasteurization, the shells of the eggs become slightly thicker and the yolk mass inside the eggs thickens, the caviar becomes drier and more crumbly, and its taste changes slightly. It becomes more neutral, which is very much to the taste of people who do not really like seafood with a pronounced “fishy” taste.
Pasteurized granular caviar is made in accordance with GOST 6052-2004 from granular black caviar of the highest grade. After removing excess moisture, salt is added to the caviar - from 3 to 5% of total weight caviar. Then the caviar is packaged in glass or metal jars, which are closed with tin lids and pasteurized - heated in autoclaves or water baths at a temperature of 60-65 ° C. Unlike unpasteurized caviar, pasteurized caviar can be stored even at room temperature.

Black caviar is a storehouse of useful vitamins and minerals that a person needs for normal life. We decided to use a concise and visual picture to answer this question:

The export of caviar is regulated by the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation as follows:
It is allowed to export no more than 250 grams of black sturgeon caviar per person.
Other seafood (including red caviar) - in quantities of no more than 5 kg per person.
We recommend that you carry caviar and seafood in your luggage to avoid being confiscated by airport security (such products may not be allowed in hand luggage).
The presence of documents confirming the origin of products is desirable, but not mandatory from a legal point of view.
Please note that in many countries the permitted quantity of imported delicacies is regulated, so find out more about the rules for importing caviar into the country where you are traveling.

Firstly, it is worth noting that fakes can be of two types:
1) imitation of black caviar (for example, dyed pike caviar or alginic caviar made from seaweed) - that is, not sturgeon caviar, but similar in appearance and passed off as it;
2) poached or Chinese caviar, disguised as caviar from well-known producers.
In the first case, the price (most likely suspiciously low), color and appearance, as well as the composition (if it is indicated honestly).
In the second case, it is not easy to be sure. Even if the seller shows you documents for the products, they will not be easy for an inexperienced buyer to understand.
Therefore, the most reliable way to protect yourself from buying fake caviar or counterfeit products is to buy black caviar directly from the manufacturer or its official representatives.

The most correct thing would be not to store the caviar at all, but to eat it as soon as possible. But if you bought caviar for a holiday, we recommend placing the jar on the top shelf of the refrigerator, closer to the back wall. Since a household refrigerator does not provide the optimal temperature for storing caviar (-2-4°C), this way you can get as close as possible to the desired temperature. However, do not under any circumstances freeze caviar or store it in the freezer, as this will greatly spoil both the appearance of the caviar and its taste.
When sealed and stored at the correct temperature, caviar can remain fresh throughout its shelf life. If the package has already been opened, it is advisable to consume the product within 3 days.

It is worth purchasing caviar only from official producers. As a rule, such companies own their own sturgeon farming enterprises where sturgeon are grown.
Demand official documents for purchased products - first of all, a CITES certificate certifying that the caviar was obtained from fish grown in aquaculture.
Buy caviar in the correct packaging - a tin or glass jar. It’s not for nothing that sturgeon caviar is called “black gold” - like a noble metal, its weight is measured in grams and ounces, as indicated on the packaging. Legal black caviar cannot be sold by weight!
Take a closer look at the contents of the package (if we are talking about a glass jar). Fake caviar has eggs that are randomly selected, strictly one color, one size and one shape. With real caviar, a slight deviation in the size and color of the eggs is permissible, and inside the egg the core must be noticeable - the so-called “eye”.
The packaging must be airtight - when opening the glass jar you should hear a slight popping sound, this is a sign that the jar has been sealed under vacuum.
Under no circumstances buy caviar in the subway, train stations, warehouses, streets, or other deserted places - the official manufacturer always has a retail outlet that is designed according to all the rules.

It is not recommended to give black caviar to children under 3 years of age due to their still undeveloped gastrointestinal tract. Allergic reactions are also possible - before including black caviar in your baby’s diet, you should consult your pediatrician. However, after three years and in the absence of allergic reactions, black caviar will be very useful for the child as a source of numerous nutrients.

The difference can be explained by one word “security”, both in the legal and consumer sense of the word.
First of all, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that since 2013, Russia has introduced criminal liability not only for the smuggling of sturgeon and black caviar, but also for the purchase of poached caviar.
Poached caviar is caviar obtained from illegally caught wild fish. To catch fish and not be caught himself, a poacher often acts like this: he places nets in the river and checks them every few days. Thus, often fish that suffocate in gear can lie in the water for a long time, decomposition processes begin in it, which, of course, affects both the taste of the caviar and its safety for health.
Legal caviar is collected only from live fish and immediately goes into processing. The caviar workshop maintains a cool temperature - this is a strict technological requirement. Specialists working with caviar do not remove masks and gloves at all stages of caviar processing - thereby absolutely eliminating the contact of any bacteria with the product. Only sterile tools, equipment and containers are used, and for washing raw caviar and equipment only specially prepared, clean filtered water without pathogenic microorganisms is used.
Poached caviar is made literally “on the knee,” hastily, with gross violations of sanitary standards. It is processed in any weather - accordingly, in the heat, pathogenic bacteria will multiply in the caviar. Equipment and containers are washed with water from the nearest body of water (we all know about ecological condition reservoirs in our country, where industrial and household waste etc.). When making caviar, poachers add prohibited preservatives and additives to the caviar, which are designed to drown out the unpleasant taste and smell of an essentially spoiled product.
Legal caviar is produced in compliance with all technological and sanitary conditions, while poached caviar is produced in gross violation of them. Legal caviar is obtained from live fish, poached caviar is often obtained from dead fish. The official manufacturer uses safe, approved preservatives, while the poacher uses preservatives that are hazardous to human health and not used in the food industry.
Poachers carry minimum costs, do not pay taxes and do not provide any guarantees. Of course, their product is cheaper. But not so much as to risk your health for a delicacy of dubious quality. We encourage everyone to consume responsibly and resist poaching.
By purchasing caviar from an official manufacturer, the consumer receives a real, tasty, healthy, environmentally friendly and safe product, produced in compliance with all necessary standards and legally permitted for sale.

Caviar is the sexual product of female fish, i.e. fry emerge from the eggs. Caviar contains all the necessary microelements for the emergence of new life. That is why any fish caviar is considered healthy.
If we talk exclusively about the color of caviar, and what is meant by the phrase “black caviar,” then the answers will be slightly different. After all, what we mean by black caviar as an expensive product, or as some say, by real black caviar, does not always have black grain. Thus, valuable black caviar comes from sturgeon fish: beluga, sturgeon, sevruga and sterlet. Moreover, their caviar has different shades, from light gray to dark brown and black. Black caviar also includes the caviar of thornfish and paddlefish.
The caviar of bowfin and halibut fish is black in color; it also has beneficial properties, but is inferior in taste to sturgeon caviar.
Red caviar is the name given to caviar obtained from fish. salmon breeds(pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon, trout).

A dilapidated fishery in the Vologda region went to Alexander Novikov for debts in the mid-90s. Over 15 years, he invested more than $15 million in the business and created the largest enterprise in Russia for growing sturgeon and producing black caviar.

The commercial vein haunted Novikov even during the Soviet era. A graduate of the Geological Prospecting Institute, he spent a lot of time in geological teams, and then became interested in restoration and spent almost the entire 80s restoring churches. He assembled teams for contracts of the Russian Orthodox Church. “In those days, we were called shabashniks,” Novikov laughs, recalling his first experience of organizing a business. In 1988, he founded the Moscow Business Center cooperative and became a specialist in organizing mutual transactions, so popular in the early 90s. And if not for chance, I would hardly have ended up as a fish farmer.

For debts

“One of the enterprises to which we supplied galvanized steel could not pay with money and gave me a small fish farm for carp breeding in the Cherepovets district of the Vologda region. At first I thought of selling it,” says Novikov. - The farm was on the verge of bankruptcy. What was good there was the water, the Suda River; there were no economic or industrial facilities upstream.”

Novikov says about himself that “he is a meticulous person”: first he decided to study everything on the topic of fish, sifted through a mountain of literature, talked with experts - and got carried away. I decided to create a large farm for growing sturgeon. “Carp is an uninteresting topic,” Novikov shrugs it off. “I immediately decided that I would not, like others, raise fish simply “for meat.” I will raise broodstock and produce eggs.”

So in 1996, the Diana fishing enterprise began new life. According to Novikov, the re-profiling led to a complete restructuring of the farm - it was necessary to build new pools, a workshop, and a laboratory. The only thing he tried to preserve was the team. The entrepreneur admits that the specialists - technologists and fish farmers - knew their business, knew how to handle fish, and he did not have to create a team from scratch.

According to the businessman, in the mid-90s. No one raised broodstocks for sturgeon caviar. A flood of poached caviar from the Caspian Sea poured into the market. Prices have fallen. It never occurred to anyone to create such a capital-intensive business. After all, you have to wait 8-10 years for caviar from sturgeon and the risks, as in any type of agriculture, are extremely high. “All my friends twirled their fingers at their temples when I told them what I was doing now,” he grins. Novikov, who made his first capital back in the 80s and then made good money during perestroika, did not chase quick money. He was fascinated by the idea.

It is now difficult for the entrepreneur to name the amount of initial investment. But he says that the amount of debt for which he got Diana was about $300,000. And in the first four years, he invested about $4 million of his own money in the company.

Herd on ultrasound

The basis of the future broodstock was purchased from the Konakovo sturgeon factory. In the form of fertilized eggs. This is how they were raised from eggs. Small, already mature herds were bought from dying Soviet enterprises. The number of “young animals” was constantly increased, some were sold simply as goods. For the first 10 years, the company lived from the sale of fish, annually selling about 300 tons of sturgeon. The company's turnover at this stage did not exceed $3 million.

Novikova’s company began producing and selling sturgeon caviar only in 2006. Then the Russian Caviar House brand and the group of companies of the same name appeared, uniting three legal entities - the Diana fishery company (RTF), Belovodye LLC (trade and wholesale transactions) and “Russian Caviar House” (retail caviar trade through an online store).

A processing workshop was built on the territory of Diana, in the construction of which Novikov invested, according to him, about $2 million.

Now the broodstock has reached 450 tons (one individual weighs on average 10-12 kg), and managing such a farm is not without its problems. Novikov says that each fish is pulled out and examined about 20 times throughout the year. The fish is familiar with ultrasound diagnostic equipment firsthand. “We had to learn something that no one in Russia knew how to do—maintain a herd,” says Novikov. “We determined sex using ultrasound and regularly examined the females to understand how they were developing.”

You will be surprised, but it turns out that fish can be milked! Novikov’s company uses two technologies for obtaining caviar - intravital (caviar at the fifth stage of maturation is obtained by milking) and slaughter (in this way caviar is obtained at the fourth stage of maturation). Slaughter caviar is fattier, higher in calories and costs 40-45% more. “But using slaughter technology we get no more than 15% of caviar,” Novikov emphasizes. “And we use only weak, slow-growing fish for this, which there is no point in dragging around for years, endlessly increasing the stock.”

For the first time, the fish lays eggs in a volume of approximately 10% of its own weight. Every year the volume of caviar increases and can reach 20% of the weight. “In nature, fish spawn once every 4-6 years. In our conditions - once every two years,” says the entrepreneur.

Novikov finds it difficult to say how many years sturgeon can spawn. In their herd there are individuals that have been producing eggs for more than 20 years. Their scaly sides are marked with scars from attempts to humanely obtain caviar back in the USSR - this was a kind of fish caesarean section, from which, according to Novikov, up to half of the fish died.

Taste and color

“Today in Russia, black caviar is produced by 10 aquaculture enterprises,” says Oleg Klepikov, CEO inFolio Research Group. - In total, about 50 farms grow sturgeon. The largest of them, according to data for the first half of 2010, are RTF "Diana" (Belovodye, Vologda region) - 7.5 tons; fish farming company "Beluga" (Astrakhan) - 2 tons; "Raskat" (Astrakhan) - 1.2 t; Karmanovsky fish farm (Bashkiria) - 900 kg; Kaluga fish-breeding sturgeon complex (Kaluga region) - 200 kg.

On average, 1 kg of sturgeon caviar from Novikov costs 30,000 rubles. “But black caviar has always been a delicacy,” he emphasizes. - In 2010, we sold 10.5 tons of caviar. 16 tons were sold on the legal caviar market, and in total our market consumes more than 200 tons! The state only declares the fight against poachers.”

The turnover of the Russian Caviar House in 2010 was $18 million, of which caviar accounted for about $14.5 million. Through the online store, the company sells caviar worth about $200,000 monthly.

According to the entrepreneur, a little more than 60% of the turnover is spent on the operational activities of the company; he uses the rest for development without taking away profits. Novikov plans to increase the broodstock until 2020. By that time, it will be 1200 tons. The profitability of the business is estimated at 30-35%.

Outside the economy

“The main difficulty faced by producers of official black caviar is the erroneous opinion, incorrectly formed by the media, that black caviar is prohibited for sale in Russia,” explains Ekaterina Antoshkina, head of the marketing and PR department of the Russian Sturgeon trading house. “In fact, caviar obtained from fish grown in our own fish hatcheries has never been prohibited or regulated by law.” The Russian Sturgeon trading house began operating in 2008 - caviar is produced at three of its own complexes in Russia and Germany. The company also uses two technologies for caviar extraction - slaughter and lifetime.

Another barrier to the development of companies producing official black caviar is poaching, says Antoshkina. “According to unofficial sources, about 16 tons of black caviar are imported to Moscow every month, which is subsequently sold throughout the country. Turnover official companies is about 12 tons per year,” Antoshkina gives such estimates.

“The potential for the development of black caviar production is outside the economic plane, but completely depends on the political will of the state,” notes Klepikov from inFolio Research Group. - To turn the situation around with sturgeon, it is necessary to take extraordinary measures to combat poaching and at least double the reproduction capacity of sturgeon. Only effective work in these areas can provide a significant increase in the production of black caviar even on the basis of existing farms, and most importantly, increase the investment attractiveness of the industry.”

5 minutes.

Caviar, “taken away” from the Russian sturgeon (Acipensergueldenstaedtii), has long been a symbol of the country’s wealth, its signature product and taste. During the existence of the USSR, this state accounted for 90% of the world market for Russiancaviar, as black caviar is still called in the world. And this despite the fact that its “production” has decreased significantly, and the production of black gold has been taken up by people and countries who were the last to be suspected of running such a business.

For example, in Iran in 1979, by a special decree of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the development of sturgeon farming was initiated. It was meant that animals stuffed with caviar would be raised solely for export, because Muslims do not eat fish without scales for religious reasons.

Methods for obtaining caviar

In order for you to order a bucket of black caviar for your wedding banquet, the restaurant director needs to buy it somewhere. The first way is to order from fishermen who farm or “wild” catch and gut fish. Another way is to find a special sturgeon farm where the fish are raised in the same way as broiler chickens. These have long existed in the USA, France and Israel.

One more nuance - the fish can be “milked” by squeezing the eggs out of the females with your hands, or slaughtered by cutting open its belly for black gold.

And here is the first hint for those who are planning to deliver cavyar to one of the. Such a sturgeon farm should be located as close to the consumer as possible in order to deliver a bucket of freshly gutted fish embryos to him in an hour or two. No, don’t be afraid, you don’t need a body of water the size of the Caspian Sea for this. Several pools, the size of which is smaller than the personal ponds of the celestials from Rublyovka, are quite enough.

Principles of organizing a sturgeon farm

In order for the fish to be at least briefly happy and productive, the farmer will need to create a closed water supply system (purification and ozonation). Games with thermal mode and lighting will allow owners to reduce the onset of sexual maturity of animals from 12-15 to 5-7 years. In addition, the manufacturer must choose an industry of his specialization - either he is engaged in the production of caviar, or he grows fish “for meat”. Anyone who is preparing to become a caviar king should take care of purchasing an ultrasound machine to check the degree of ripeness of the eggs without opening the females. The last issue is the organization of the purchase of special imported food for sturgeon, since the consumption of domestic mollusks, invertebrates and small fish Although it significantly naturalizes the process, it will delay the onset of the period of sexual maturity of animals.

Caviar business buns

One sexually mature female will give her owner about 2 kilograms of caviar. The price of the goods is 50-150 thousand per kilo. At the same time, no one will sell it below 50 thousand rubles. It's not about the cost of the product, but about its status. This is a luxury item, just like diamonds or luxury cars.
Processing raw materials has minimal cost. Unskilled workers salt it in the proportion calculated by the technologist, wash it, and then pack it into jars using ordinary spoons.
A sturgeon farm requires a minimal amount of space. Such a farm can be organized even on a personal plot.

And although such a business is considered to be a long-term project and has low profitability, the feeling of a person involved in the production of black caviar is comparable to the pride of elite horse breeders, Maserati manufacturers and other people involved in the creation of high-quality goods.

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