The Beluga sturgeon (*Huso huso*) is one of the world’s largest and most ancient freshwater fish, renowned for producing highly prized beluga caviar. Native to the Caspian and Black Sea basins, this species has historically been targeted by countries bordering these waters, particularly Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Romania. For centuries, these nations developed extensive fishing industries centered around the beluga, with Russia and Iran dominating global caviar exports. However, overfishing, habitat loss, and poaching have drastically reduced wild populations, leading to strict international regulations and bans on beluga sturgeon fishing in many regions. Today, legal harvests are rare and largely restricted to carefully managed aquaculture operations, with Iran and Russia remaining key players in the production of beluga caviar through both wild capture (where permitted) and sturgeon farming.
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Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.