Caviar Farming

Aqua farming a high-cash crop.

A U.S. ban on imports of some Caspian Sea caviar has contributed to a healthy caviar market. Beluga imports have been banned since 2005 because the fish population has been decimated in the wild.

Emery and other caviar experts point to aquaculture as the future of the caviar industry.

"With no caviar coming in from anywhere. ... the farms are doing well," Emery said.

Petrossian sells an ounce of farmed ossetra caviar for $126 to $170. The same amount of wild sevruga, the smallest variety, sells for prices starting at $314.

Although farmed sturgeon produce caviar faster than in the wild, it is still an expensive business requiring an endless supply of capital and patience.