IBERIAN STURGEON, MEDITERRANEAN IDENTITY
Fishing sturgeon for their meat and their roe was a common sight in Spain up until the early 1970s, from the coasts of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic to the rivers Guadalquivir, Ebro, Duero and the Tajo.
These famous rivers of the Iberian Peninsula were abundant in sturgeon ready to reproduce from the A. naccari and A. Sturio species, and even the occasional famous Beluga H.Huso.
The production of caviar from the river Guadalquivir (naccarii) began to prosper between the 1930s and the 1960s, together with French caviar (sturio), being one of two European caviars.
Historically caviar from the Iberian Peninsula was, as in France or Russia, a famous desired delicacy. In fact, there existed a brand of Spanish caviar which once exported several tonnes of caviar every year with great success to countries such as Russia.
During these decades of production, the over fishing of the A.naccarii for its caviar, and the construction of the Alcala Dam in the Guadalquivir meant that the species almost became extinct. Very few wild sturgeons survived, the majority of which were in the river Po in Italy.
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