Sturgeons coming back in Lake Erie?
July 29, 2009
According to an article appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on July, 19th, it seems that the Lake sturgeon might prepare its comeback. In just one day fishers in the Lake Erie basin caught 2 beauties after they vanished from any fishing nets and rods for the last 2-3 years. That is “notable” indeed, as Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Chuck Murray put it.
“Let’s put it this way, I’ve never brought one onto our boats since I’ve been with the commission, and that’s 17 years.”
It would be plain great if all of the indigenious ‘US sturgeon’ species, like the Atlantic sturgeon, the Short-nosed sturgeon and the Lake sturgeon – after being virtually wiped out within 20 years – would find their old habitat just that again: habitable.
Lets keep fingers crossed – and those waters clean!
The First and Totally Unique “Wild-Raised“ production of Caviar Ossetra Malossol
July 27, 2009
Following an explanation about the newly introduced Wild-Raised production concept from our fellow partners, Esturiones del Rio Negro SA, aka Black River Caviar:
“The perfect environment allows for a unique and matchless
WILD-RAISED CAVIAR
We would like to describe in some detail the principals which set apart our one of a kind farming facilities and allow us to set the standard for a totally new concept: the WILD-RAISED production of caviar.
To date the consumer has known about only two sources of caviar:
1. the Caspian Sea area (Russia and Iran), where caviar is harvested from the wild sturgeon.
2. The other known source is newer and less appetizing: it involves sturgeon being Farm-Raised. This process involves a closed circuit of recirculated waters (99%) in artificial pools or tanks, which require the overused water be treated with filters and chemical products.
From its inception, Black River Caviar sought out the perfect environment within which we knew we could match the quality of wild caviar production.
We have therefore designed all our facilities on our farm in such a way that they are harmoniously adapted to the environment and best utilize the pristine natural habitat that is the Rio Negro – Uruguay.
Our guiding philosophical principal is the recreation of ‘life in the wild’ for the sturgeon: from day one until the moment of our caviar harvesting.
Our facilities are divided into three areas:
1. The Hatchery
2. Baygorria Lake
3. The Raceways System
The imported Russian sturgeon eggs are housed in the Hatchery: an environment which simulates the bottom of the river were Russian sturgeon naturally spawn.
Then, over the next six to nine months, we then do a natural classification – selecting the best young sturgeon to send to the lake. This environment corresponds very closely to that of the Caspian Sea with its slow and natural water streams. Here, in a stress-free environment, our fish are fed special organic feed and allowed to grow in the most healthy and natural way.
At this point all the females are tagged with a special microchip in order for us to literally follow their maturation process with the necessary detail required.
Once the females start to produce their first roe, we move them to the Raceways systems, which again is a perfect simulation of the river delta and its requisite rapids.
This unprecedented system moves about 50 million Gallons through the Raceways each day – constantly guaranteeing that the water is 100% fresh and free-flowing. We therefore have no need for any water recycling, or any kind of water treatments or filters.
The volume of water running through the system guarantees a totally unspoiled environment in which the water is naturally oxygenated when flowing through our cascade system. This system is comprised of 80 concrete raceways, each of 150 meters, and each which we handle individually.
Due to this design we can work with the sturgeon twenty-four hours a day and we are able to change the water speed, quantity and depth of each unit in order to simulate the females’ natural journey up the river.
The continuous exercise the Sturgeon get in this environment – constantly swimming against the fresh water streams – allows our fish to grow and mature in a fashion which ensures a quality akin to their wild counterparts.
Our entire operation is based on ensuring quality sturgeon by creating a uniquely planned environment that mimicks the natural environment allowing for a completely new classification of caviar: not wild and not farm-raised – ours is uniquely WILD-RAISED.”
New Iranian caviar farm
July 24, 2009
The german company United Food Technologies AG (UFT) is a worldwide expert in building water closed circuits for aquafarms. They will cooperate with the irani government in order to build a caviar farm in the Gorgan Gulf, northern Golestan province and near the border of Turkmenistan. Teheran is eager to develop the cultivation of fish in general and more even regarding the sturgeon. Due to the recent and actual free fall of Acipenser landings in the Caspian Sea – due to poaching, overfishing and pollution – their plan fits into the current agenda of the caviar industry. Raising sturgeons is the only way in order to provide the gourmets around the world with caviar. Sad but true: Wild caviar is doomed.
An interesting question: will the Iranians be able to step into their own legacy and produce a top premium caviar inside their aquacultures? In my point of view they are starting relatively late with vision. And taking the painful mistakes into account that every farmer has to diggest, well, then it will still be a very long way until we see some iranian farmed caviar on the shelf. And start digging graves for the Almas caviar…
ZwyerCaviar LLC has nothing to fear, as its caviar producer – Esturiones del Rio Negro SA – is to date the one and only sturgeon farm so far, which has access to millions of fresh river water. And in stark contrast to UFT, the water is being used once of course – and never ever re-circulated. Any questions…?
Go to article
Sticky German affair
July 8, 2009
It’s just plain great to know, who is checking up my blog. Which audience. The old saying goes: keep your friends close. But keep your enemies closer. Well, sure thing. I might just do that.
Some Germans within the caviar industry asked me last week – in a not at all polite way – to delete a post. It was about some missguided info about them. Supposedly. Something they wanted to see vanished from the face of the earth. But hey! My blog is just that: my blog. And as much as you would like me having total control over the internet (thing again!), I cannot guarantee that this blogarticle will pop out the net anytime in the future.
So, this goes out to whom it may concern:
Lay back. Dont panik. And do yourself a favour: play! Its the internet. Its the 3rd millenia. Its the grey zone. Get updated. Or get out.
ZwyerCaviar in the Press – Tagblatt & 20Minuten
July 7, 2009
Two swiss newspapers picked up the news, after ZwyerCaviar LLC won the prestigious European Luxury Award 2009 in the category ‘Best New Brand’.
Go to original article (both in german):
Norway and Romania help Beluga
July 3, 2009
Romania banned commercial sturgeon fishing in the Danube River basin some time back. Now, both nations are heading even further and started to finance a project in the Danube River which aims at multiple dimensions.
One of the main goals for this project is trying to understand the trails and routes of the Beluga (Huso Huso). Because of the fact, that the river was heavily dredged in order to clear space for the big cargo vessels and on the shores were built many hydroelectric power plants, the sturgeon populations lost half of their spawning grounds. So, obviously one wonders how they behave and maybe even adapt to the more difficult living conditions. Besides their remaining spawning grounds, especially the question of how they migrate to and from the Black Sea is of big interest.
Furthermore the scientists behind Carolyn Knight and Trond Rosten aim to analyse the regional socialeconomical impact regarding the fishing ban of sturgeons. Fishermen and local societies are under stress aswell. One might forget that easely when trying to safe sturgeons from extinction…
And last but not least, the project looks for ways to build a sustainable tourism based on informing the public about the living conditions of sturgeons, and their right to live. One way of doing so could be an aquaculture farm. Fishfarming is the best alternative their is for not overfishing the seas and rivers of this planet we call earth.
Winners of the European Luxury Award 2009
July 1, 2009
What an exclusive crowd! ZwyerCaviar is proud to be named together with such recognized brands and organisations as e.g. Condé Nast, Dunhill, De Beers, Getty Images, The Macallan and Moët Hennessy.
Click here to find out all the winners for the 15 different categories!
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