U.S. To Ban Beluga Caviar Imports

The United States will begin banning the importation of beluga caviar from the Caspian Sea because the fish that produces it is an endangered species and the exporting countries haven't submitted any plan for the species' conservation:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 - The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will begin banning imports of beluga caviar and other beluga products from the Caspian Sea on Friday, after caviar-exporting countries in the region failed to provide details of their plans to conserve the fish, which is listed internationally as a species threatened with extinction.

The United States consumes 60 percent of the world exports of beluga caviar, a $200-an-ounce delicacy that is considered the king of caviars. While osetra and sevruga caviars are consumed in far greater amounts in this country, beluga has long had unrivaled international cachet and commanded unrivaled prices.

Its desirability has led to decades of overfishing, and stocks have dwindled dramatically, particularly in the Caspian Sea, where stocks have declined by 90 percent n the past 20 years.

New York Times

It looks like this fish is really bad off if they've declined by 90%. It'll make a lot of pissed off rich people but it looks like it's necessary. But I doubt it'll really help unless other countries follow suit.