Sturgeon farming for caviar is growing as wild populations have collapsed. The welfare of farmed sturgeon raises questions about long-lived fish in intensive systems.
Farmed sturgeon welfare raises distinctive issues because of the species' extreme longevity. Farming facilities make welfare commitments spanning decades for individual fish. Water quality management is critical as these large, sensitive fish require specific temperature, oxygen, and chemistry conditions. Traditional caviar production kills females at harvest, but roe-stripping methods allow repeated harvest from living fish, raising questions about whether repeated stripping stress outweighs the welfare benefit of not being killed. Market demand for sustainable, certified caviar is driving improvement in farming standards, but welfare-specific guidance for this unusual species remains limited.