Sturgeon farming, a new challenge

Aquaculture has taken over, and sturgeon farms have sprung up all over the world. These require investment, technical skills and patience! In fact, it takes 7 to 14 years for a female to reach sexual maturity and bear eggs. And extracting the precious egg pouch (the roe) costs them their lives.

What are the main challenges facing sturgeon breeders?

The water challenge
Water is an essential factor in sturgeon farming For pond and lake breeding, the water generally comes from nearby mountains, to recreate a natural ecosystem for the fish. It’s spring water, free of pesticides, constantly recycled, at a temperature of between 15 and 18 degrees (ideally 19 degrees). Some breeders prefer ponds sheltered from the sun, while others use outdoor ponds. We don’t yet have any experience of the effects of sunlight on sturgeon growth, but it seems that sturgeon grow faster in the shade.
In most cases, breeders install a geothermal drilling system, which keeps the fish at a constant temperature in summer and winter. In addition, an environmentally-friendly water treatment system is used. To achieve this, a filtration system ensures that the water leaving the plant has the same quality as when it entered. Some farmers even recycle all or part of their water.
This treatment guarantees pure, oxygenated water for the sturgeon’s well-being.
Fish must also have enough room to swim freely. The breeders we work with raise sturgeon in large areas (lakes, ponds or basins) so that they can develop serenely.

Food challenge
Food also plays a key role. It is specifically adapted for sturgeon and benefits from constant attention.
Farmers mainly use certified GMO-free fish meat. Some supplement this diet with small fresh frozen fish (sardines, shrimps, kilka…).

Time challenge
The first sturgeon breeders often underestimated the time needed to develop their business. In fact, it takes almost 10 years on average to obtain stable caviar production, with a good supply of sturgeon broodstock capable of ensuring the continuity of generations!

In the aquaculture environment, sturgeons spend their first years in large lakes, freshwater lakes, ponds or basins, where they thrive optimally. After 3/4 years, the sex of the sturgeon is identified by ultrasound. Males and females are then separated. The former are sold for their meat. The latter will continue to live in ponds.
The sturgeon’s maturity cycle is respected, as in the wild. Like wagyu beef, which benefits from the utmost care, mature female sturgeon are pampered. They must be spared any annoyance, otherwise they’ll have to wait for the next breeding cycle – more than 2 years! Then, depending on the species, it takes at least 7 years for female sturgeons to obtain their first eggs. The females with the most beautiful eggs (identified by biopsy) are then selected for caviar production, in ultra-modern laboratories that meet European health standards.