CAVIAR SITUATION AT NOVEMBER THE 15th 2006

For about 15 years through our company Marché Transatlantique, we concentrated our work regarding caviar on quality and on making the different sorts available on the Canadian market.  Sensitive to the fact that Caspian Sea sturgeon are becoming rare commodities, early 2003 we decided to privilege farm raised caviar as well as wild Canadian sturgeon caviar, fished in small quantities in North of Quebec region.

WHY?

The international situation:
Since January 2006 no authorization of exportation is delivered for the Caspian Sea sturgeon caviar (sevruga, oscietra, beluga) do to the fact it has been put on the endangered species list. In fact, catches went from 400 tonnes 20 years ago to 15 tonnes in 2005.

This wise and necessary decision will give the Caspian sea sturgeon well needed time regarding its reproduction process: fish must be between 8 and 20 years old minimum for its first breeding!

Canada adopted a strong and severe resolution for every latest caviars importations.  It does not hesitate to have recourse to DNA analyses for detecting the right nature of imported caviar in order to confound malevolent importers (for that matter a Toronto importer has just been found guilty of smuggling 126 kg of caviar that were seized by customs agents, Globe and Mail 15.11.06).

SOLUTION!

For 15 years now, France developed an alternative with aquaculture.  California as well but on a lesser scale.

The French breeding (1st worldwide producer) raise the Acipenser Baeri breed (a Siberian sturgeon) very well adapt to aquaculture.

Marché Transatlantique has followed ACIA control procedure (chemical tests and DNA tests) and the company obtained the authorization of importing caviar from France since 2005.

Worldwide need for French caviar largely exceeds the offer.  At the moment this product is available only in limited quantities.

As for Californian farms it is the Acipenser Transmontanus that is bred.  They supply mostly for the need of the US market.

OUR ALTERNATIVE

WILD:
We are currently working with the only commercial Abitibi sturgeon fishing licence holder fisherman whose inherited experience goes back to a century.  An annual fishing quota regulates his activity.

This Abitibi caviar gives the opportunity of being able to taste a unique wild caviar sturgeon form Canada.  The quality is great and the taste exceptional.

FARM RAISED:
We carry the French farm raised caviar from Gironde (MD): “ Le Caviar de la Gironde”. Currently available in limited quantities, this product also offers a good alternative to the Caspian Sea one.  Noticeable for its size (Oscietras like) dark grey to black colour, it is neither too salty nor too greasy and slightly iodine tasting.

Last but not least comes our “Acadian Gold” (MD) that we are actually developing trough a partnership with the only Canadian sturgeon farm raising that has been working on this for more than 8 years. 

Following the various gustative tests that we did, we can say that this product will delight amateurs for its very specific gold colour and delicate taste.

Bruno et Sylvie Marie