Illegal trade: DNA tests for caviar?

The empire strikes back! Attention to all smugglers, poachers and minds alike: beware not only cats and dogs, but the genes too. Caviar goes high-tech! The following extracts were found under braincoad.com & askmen.com:

DNA tests will be used to confirm the species of sturgeon listed on the shipment and to eliminate illegal mixtures with inferior quality roe. Even cats are now used to detect smuggled sturgeon in Russia. A cat named Rusik is able to detect sturgeon hidden in trucks better than sniffer dogs (National Post, 9 July 2003, p. A12). Read more >>

DNA testing is used to authenticate foods like caviar. Who knew that the caviar industry was so ripe with mystery, excitement and illegal activity? It’s likely that most have no idea. The choice delicacy of the affluent, caviar has for years been regulated worldwide by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (C.I.T.E.S.). C.I.T.E.S. has closely monitored stocks of caviar coming from the Caspian Sea — the body of water responsible for some 90% of the world’s caviar — in an effort to protect endangered species, particularly sturgeon caviar. As a result, DNA testing has become a staple method of authentication to ensure that incoming caviar is properly labeled and legitimate. However, quite often, testing of the DNA yields an unfortunate result. Read more >>