Sturgeons are among the most endangered vertebrate groups on Earth, driven by caviar poaching and habitat loss. Their welfare in the wild and in aquaculture faces unique challenges given their long lifespan.
Sturgeon welfare involves both the individual welfare of long-lived fish that may survive encounters with fishing gear only to face subsequent physiological stress from handling, and the population welfare crisis of species on the brink of extinction. The existence of a legal caviar industry through aquaculture provides a welfare-positive alternative to poaching that simultaneously provides economic incentives for conservation. However, aquaculture conditions for sturgeons must ensure welfare across lifespans of decades in some species, requiring long-term husbandry commitments that typical aquaculture planning does not accommodate. Dam removal programs that restore sturgeon migration routes are both conservation and welfare interventions that allow these ancient fish to complete their naturally evolved life cycles.