388 Kg of Caviar Exported in 5 Months

Close to 388 kilograms of caviar worth nearly 31.5 billion rials (around $965,400) were exported from Iran during the five months to August 22, registering a 10.5% and 3% fall in weight and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of last year, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration announced.

Germany, Hong Kong, the UAE, Japan, Italy, Belgium, France, Kuwait and the UK were the main export destinations for Iranian caviar over the period, Young Journalists Club reported.

Caspian Sea, in the north of Iran, is the world’s primary and largest habitat for the beluga, the most famous sturgeon, as well as four other sturgeon species.

However, the deteriorating condition of Caspian Sea has long been threatening this fish with extinction. The declining sturgeon population and the ban on their fishing have also caused a downtrend in Iran’s caviar exports.

Iran’s caviar exports stood at a high of 38 tons in the fiscal 2004-05.