Sturgeons are among the world's most ancient fish species, critically endangered due to overfishing for caviar. Their welfare in both wild and aquaculture settings deserves attention.
Sturgeon welfare involves both wild fish facing overfishing pressure and captive fish in long-term aquaculture production. Wild sturgeons caught in illegal fisheries are often killed quickly but sometimes handled roughly before death. Aquaculture sturgeons kept for years in intensive tank conditions experience chronic confinement stress. Egg stripping procedures cause acute stress. The long lifespan of sturgeons means welfare harms in captivity can accumulate over decades. Certified sustainable caviar from operations with welfare monitoring represents the most defensible option for consumers.