Sturgeon aquaculture has grown rapidly as wild populations collapsed, but welfare challenges in long-lived, sensitive fish require careful management in caviar production systems.
Farmed sturgeon welfare requires careful attention to water quality, stocking density, and the significant stress of repeated handling for caviar harvest. Non-lethal milking techniques that allow females to survive multiple harvests are both more welfare-positive and economically superior to traditional kill-and-strip methods. The long lifespan of farmed sturgeon means welfare compromises accumulate over years — high standards throughout the production cycle are essential.