2006 was the
year of the caviar ban in the Caspian Sea. During that time we saw the rise of American caviar including the veneration of the paddlefish as the new future of caviar. We
even compiled a list for how to survive without Caspian caviar.
Now the UN has lifted the caviar ban, publishing quotas for five countries -- Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. A decision of beluga, the most expensive variety, has been delayed. The sturgeon is still in peril but the countries are allowed to sell 96 tons of caviar in 2007 which is just 15 percent below the 2005 level. It's great news for caviar junkies and for the countries bordering the Caspian Sea but it is most likely depressing news for the American and European caviar producers who have enjoyed the increased attention and business over the past year.
